


Close to You

by universepunk



Series: Romances of Love [2]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-29
Updated: 2012-07-29
Packaged: 2017-12-25 06:55:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 115,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/950040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/universepunk/pseuds/universepunk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Romances of Love. Grimmjow goes off to Tokyo to work as a mechanic, leaving Ichigo in Karakura. As if long distance wasn't hard enough, Ginjo enters Ichigo's life with promises of financial security and happiness. When Grimmjow discovers Ginjo's 'actions' and overreacts, he loses the most precious thing in his life. Will promises make or break their relationship?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Constellations Under the Cherry Blossoms

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any aspects of it. The story and characters belongs to Tite Kubo, and I am writing this out of simple enjoyment.
> 
> Main Pairing: Ichigo x Grimmjow
> 
> Side Pairings: Ichigo x Ginjo, Renji x Shuhei, Inoue x ...
> 
> A/N: So hey there everyone! This is a sequel to the story "Romances of Love". Please be sure to read that one before you read this one!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this story.

Two lovers all alone during the summer will make the most of their time together.

* * *

Summer, a time of year when students are able to relax from the stressful and overbearing work they receive at school. It's a time in most students' lives when they socialize and happily anticipate the coming school year. However, for some, it's a time of vital last moments before a separation.

For Ichigo and Grimmjow, two high school seniors, this summer would be such a case.

The two have been dating for a little under a year now, and quite a number of things have transpired in that time. The most influential event was the confrontation with Grimmjow's former boss, Sosuke Aizen. This man founded his business and ran a drug operation from its underbelly. He treasured Grimmjow as little more than a slave, but more than anything, he was dreadfully attached to him. Ichigo willingly threw himself into the flames to save both he and Inoue from the man's clutches. It's something all of his friends witnessed and truly respected him for.

Upon Aizen's arrest, Grimmjow found himself out of a job and his savings began dwindling. Of all the things he found himself doing, he started working on cars in an auto shop to hold down his car note and cell phone bill. After all, the  _last_  thing he wanted to do was ask his father for money. That's when a corporate executive over in Tokyo took a liking to him. He was visiting family in Karakura when his car broke down. He took it to the local shop to have it repaired and discovered Grimmjow.

At the very end of the summer, he's going to move out to Tokyo and begin working part-time while attending a public school. Although this was heartbreaking, Ichigo cared far too much about Grimmjow's future to hold him back.

The two, currently sitting side-by-side under a cherry blossom tree, observed the moon and stars together. The summer they spent together had been one without interruption as Ichigo's friends had all been out of town. Inoue was with Tatsuki visiting her relatives. Chad was in Mexico visiting his own family. Ishida went off on a trip with his father to South America. Renji somehow saved enough money to take Shuhei on vacation in the Bahamas. Perhaps he got an advance on his paycheck. Rukia went with her brother on a cruise in the Caribbean. And Senna was back up North and didn't know when she'd be back. She said she'd definitely be back for the school year though.

Thus, Ichigo was left all alone with Grimmjow. And what a summer it had been. The two had gone to movies, taken long drives out to the beach, drank a little…well, a lot in Grimmjow's case, and even got to go to a few concerts together.

But after excitement, they had found that it was nice to just sit back and relax in each other's company.

"Grimmjow." He spoke from his place leaned against him.

"Yeah?" the larger man responded.

"I'm really proud of you for getting such a good job."

"You don't sound too happy about it though."

Ichigo turned his attention to the stars overhead, "Well, I won't get to see you as much. But, after this year, maybe I'll go to med school in Tokyo." He spoke.

Wishful thinking was all he was uttering.

"You can always run away with me." Grimmjow offered.

"N-no. I couldn't just leave everyone like that."

"You're making this hard for me, Kurosaki. Do you want me to go or not?"

Ichigo turned his eyes to his boyfriend, "Of course not. But, I know this is a great opportunity for you. You can finally make an honest living."

"Yeah… I'm sure gonna miss sexin' you up though."

Ichigo rested his head on Grimmjow's shoulder. This was for the best. How could he claim he loved the man if he held him back from making life better for himself?

"Grimm?"

"Huh?"

"Just, promise me this."

"What's that?" the bluenette asked calmly.

"Promise me we'll always keep this same love for each other. No matter how great the distance between us."

"Yeah. I promise."

"All right."

* * *

Around midnight, the two decided to call it a night and head home.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Ichigo let his eyes move about Grimmjow's immaculate car. To this day, he still kept it clean. Unlike his room for some reason. It was no surprise he enjoyed working on cars so much. He was quite good at it actually.

Sighing at the depressing turn this summer had taken, the orange haired boy leaned on his hand and looked out the window at the passing night city. It wasn't long before they arrived back at the clinic.

"Grimm, you can spend the night if you want. My dad's not going to care."

"You know what that means huh?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't know you very well now would I?" Ichigo smiled.

Grimmjow pulled his car into the narrow driveway and jumped out. He caught up to Ichigo at the front door and entered right behind him.

The house was dark. The only light provided was from the one above the stove. After taking off his shoes, Ichigo walked past the kitchen noting how clean Yuzu kept it. When he headed up the stairs, Grimmjow's large foot caught his heel due to his close proximity.

"Space, Grimm. You're so impatient." He complained.

"You're taking forever. Let's go." Said man impatiently responded.

Ichigo opened the door to his room and wandered over to his desk to flip the lamp on. His room was as tidy as he'd left it this morning.

He walked grabbed a change of clothes and left his room to go and take a shower. When he made to close the bathroom door, Grimmjow's foot stopped him.

"Grimmjow, what are you-"

"Let's shower together." He offered.

"Nothing raunchy. It's late and I'm tired."

"Fine. Lemme go grab something from your room."

Ichigo shook his head. Typical. He didn't wait to be offered anything; he just took what he wanted. But that was something he both liked and disliked about Grimmjow.

The boy turned on the water and adjusted it to a nice temperature. After that was ready, he slipped out of his clothes and stepped in.

Wasting no time, he stepped directly under the water and let it soak his hair. He had laid down in the grass with Grimm today so there was no questioning it needing a wash.

Just then, the door slid open and Grimmjow stepped in behind him.

"You didn't have any clean underwear." He said.

"Sorry. I forgot to do laundry yesterday. You'll have to go commando tonight."

Pressing his stomach to Ichigo's back, Grimmjow rested his chin on the crook in the boy's neck and spoke, "So long as you don't go peeping like you always do." He snickered.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. It had been forever since he had last done that.

"Don't deny how much you like seeing my junk."

"I think you might like it more than me."

Grimmjow wrapped his arms around the smaller boy's stomach and grinned, "I'm gonna miss this."

"Me too." The orange-haired boy sincerely added, "Let's get clean so we can go to sleep."

"Sleep? But you said-"

"In the morning. I don't want you…doing weird things to me if I fell asleep during."

"Pussy."

"Dick."

* * *

"Stop hogging all the cover!"

"I'm bigger than you so I get more." Grimmjow said.

"But it's  _my_  room!" Ichigo yelled in a lowered tone.

"Snooze ya lose."

"…Whatever..."

Giving up, Ichigo turned away from the immature man and closed his eyes. When Grimmjow scooted closer and draped the comforter over him, he knew it was his way of apologizing for his immature behavior.

"I thought you might see things my way."

The bluenette scoffed, "No. That's not it at all. I just like being close to you."

"Night Grimm. Don't get fresh when I'm asleep."

"Don't bet on it."

Even though they had said their good nights, neither fell asleep. They were just laying there, bodies in never ending contact. At some point though, the night claimed them both.

* * *

Early in the morning, Ichigo could hear whispering. He knew it couldn't have been Grimmjow. The man was practically suffocating him as he slept heavily on top of his right side. He was also lightly snoring.

Suddenly, the voices became much clearer.

"Renji, don't. We should wait for them to wake up. Let's go back downstairs." Shuhei said.

"No don't stop him. I think he'll learn his lesson when Ichigo pops him in the nose." Senna giggled.

Renji snatched the covers off and jumped when he saw Grimmjow's half naked form draped over Ichigo.

"Ichigo, you alive under there?" he asked.

"I'm going to kill you, Renji." The boy responded, eyes adjusting to the brightness of the room.

"C'mon! Get from under that boulder and let's go catch up!"

"You seem awake now. Might as well." Senna added.

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu called from the kitchen, "I'm making blueberry pancakes! They'll be ready in ten minutes!"

"Sounds yummy." Senna bounced.

"How can you sleep with him on top of you like that?" Shuhei asked.

"I'm fine." Ichigo responded, flipping Grimmjow's sleeping form off of him.

"What nice muscles…" Senna said, noting the bluenette's shirtlessness.

"Hey, we've been gone since May and this is the way you treat us? At least Yuzu and Karin know how to treat people." Renji huffed.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to get first dibs on those pancakes." Senna said, swiftly exiting the room.

After seeing Shuhei follow, Renji had no choice but to do the same.

Once the door shut, Ichigo looked down at the man still sleeping beside him.

"You were even more tired than I was." He smiled.

Looking out his window, he realized how lucky he was to be spending time with Grimmjow before he had to leave. Despite how childish and aggressive said man could be, Ichigo loved him no less for it.

The rest of their summer would be one he'd make sure to enjoy.

On that note, he slipped out of bed. Last night, he had said he would have a go with Grimm, but he was still fast asleep. Oh well. Once he woke up and ate some pancakes, he was sure to forget all about it.


	2. Days

Cherish thine days. May they be clear and bright with the ones you love the most.

* * *

A breeze flowed gently through Grimmjow's vast mansion. For some reason, the windows were open on this hot summer's day. Neliel, dressed in a large white t-shirt and mini green shorts, lay stomach down and chin rested on her hands on the couch in her living room, staring at Ichigo.

"What's wrong, Nel?" he asked.

The girl closed her eyes and flopped over onto her back then sighed heavily.

"I'm gonna miss Grimm." She replied solemnly.

"What do you mean? He hasn't told you…?"

"Hm? Told me what?" she asked.

"Oh… uh, nothing…"

"You know something I don't? Tell me, Ichigo!"

Ichigo kept his lips sealed. If Grimmjow hadn't told her, then maybe he wanted her to find out over the weekend. Last week, his boss had sent him a schedule online and it showed that he had Friday through Sunday off. He would be working Monday through Thursday from two in the afternoon to ten at night. All the while, he would be making seventeen dollars per hour.

At first, it seemed like a lot, but then Ichigo made him realize that living in Tokyo was not going to be cheap.

"Ichigoooo! Tell me what he said!" Neliel whined.

"Neliel, why do you always have to be so annoying?" Grimmjow asked as he entered the room.

Ichigo and Neliel turned to look at him. Today was his last day in Karakura. He had packed, with help from Ichigo, and made all the arrangements necessary to move tonight. But for now, he and Ichigo were going out on a date.

He was wearing a navy button down with the sleeves rolled up and first two buttons undone showing off his powerful chest. For the first time in his life, he had decided to wear a pair of skinny jeans. They were gray with a criss cross design along the sides up near his waist. The only accessories he wore were a pair of metallic bracelets he found after cleaning his room. Finally, he wore a pair of swayed black converse with hints of white to them.

Ichigo smiled. He looked very nice today.

Neliel turned from Grimmjow to Ichigo. He was wearing a tight fitted white v neck t-shirt to show off his more slim figure. He too was wearing skinny jeans. They were a dark purple with a slight rip design to them.

"You two look so nice for once." She quickly covered her mouth, "That last part slipped." She giggled.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and looked to Ichigo, "You ready?"

"Yeah."

"Where are you guys going?"

"Out for lunch and to the beach." Ichigo answered.

"Dressed like that?"

"We're gonna change once we get there! Mind your own business!" Grimmjow answered.

Standing from his place on the couch, Ichigo picked up a bag and turned to the girl.

"Beach clothes are in here." He grinned.

"Oh! I wanna go to the beach! That's a two hour drive away from here!" the girl complained.

"See ya later, Neliel." Grimmjow said, exiting the house.

"Sorry, Nel. Maybe next time?" Ichigo offered, quickly following the other out the side kitchen door to the garage.

"Grimm can be so mean… ALL the time…" Neliel moped.

She picked up the remote, turned on the television, and started flipping through the channels. Contemplating Grimmjow and his personality was not something she wanted to spend her day doing.

* * *

The sub shop on the way out of Karakura was admittedly a nice place. Senna said that she got a job here in May and started back working a few days ago after getting home. Today, it appeared as though she was off.

"What can I get for you sir?" the sandwich artist asked.

"I'll take two of your daily specials." Grimmjow said.

The girl looked back and forth between the two males in front of her. Her cheeks turned red and she became unbearably silent.

"Can I get a Coke with mine?" Ichigo asked.

"I'll take a Dr. Pepper." Grimmjow added.

"Yuck."

"Don't yuck my drink, Kurosaki! Coke is what's gross." The bluenette sneered.

"I'd pour Dr. Pepper down the drain before I drank it. It's absolutely the worst tasting drink ever. I think liquid fart might be an accurate description."

When the girl over the counter squealed, both pairs of eyes turned to her.

"Kawaii! You two are soooo cute!" she exclaimed.

"Eh…?" Grimmjow remarked.

"Are you two, you know, on a date? Oh this is TOO cute! Here! Let me take a picture!"

Immediately, the girl pulled out a camera from the counter and snapped a picture of the two.

"What are you…doing?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm putting this up on the wall! Only the cutest couples get this honor!" she smiled genuinely.

"Can…can we get our order? What the heck's going on here?" Grimmjow asked.

"Right! Of course!" she quickly rang them up, "That'll be thirteen dollars and forty-seven cents."

Ichigo made to pull out his wallet, but Grimmjow threw his hand up in front of him, "I got this."

"Oooh. Mr. Big Shot." The shorter boy mocked.

"Can't help it. I spare no expense, you know."

"KAWAII!" the girl jumped.

After the brief wait and then finally getting their food, the two walked out of the store and went back to Grimmjow's car.

The time now was a little past eleven. The drive to the beach would take about an hour instead of the two it would normally take since Grimmjow always sped on the highway.

Ichigo sat in the passenger's seat sipping his drink through his straw. He usually ended up drinking until it was all gone when it was time to eat, but this time he was pacing himself. He wasn't about to ask Grimmjow for that liquid in his cup and give him reason to boast.

The drive hadn't taken long for them to get out of the city limits. On both sides of the road, there were now trees and rocky shores.

"I'm glad I get to spend this last day with you." Grimmjow spoke, breaking the silence in the car.

Blushing, Ichigo responded, "I'm glad too, Grimm."

"Hey, didn't you say Senna worked at that sub shop?"

"Yeah, but she's off on Sundays."

"Man she's so fucking lucky. I wanted to make her job a living hell." The bluenette truly was disappointed that he couldn't torment the girl at work.

Brown eyes rolled and then turned to look out the window. Ichigo was just as lucky Senna was off. That meant he didn't have to stop a petty argument.

Despite the fact that the car went back to silence after that conversation, it wasn't awkward in any sense. Just being in each other's company was more than enough for both men.

Upon reaching the beach, Grimmjow swerved perfectly into a parking space and complimented himself for his badass driving skills.

"Let's just hurry and get changed." Ichigo said.

After grabbing their lunch and the beach bag, they got out of the car and walked over to the restrooms.

"Wanna watch me change, Kurosaki?"

Ichigo shook his head and entered an empty changing booth. One thing he would always, always know about Grimmjow was that he was very proud of his moderately chiseled body. It was something he worked hard on. Just like cars. He gave just enough effort so that he didn't overdo it.

He smiled when he thought about how devoted and productive Grimmjow could be when he was actually interested in what he was doing. Sometimes, that's all anyone needed was something that kept them interested and motivated.

"I think…" the orange head started once he rejoined the other, "Nel was right. We probably should have just gone in our beach clothes."

"We don't need to take advice from friggin' Neliel."

"I know. I'm just saying…the whole changing thing was just a waste of time."

Brown eyes found themselves drawn to the solitary figure walking just ahead of him. Grimmjow had changed into a royal blue, tight-fitted, sleeveless muscle shirt with a necklace hanging from his neck. He wore black swimming trunks with blue and white circles lining the lower hem.

He himself was wearing a white tank top with red along the straps, gray swimming shorts, and an ankle bracelet made from threaded string.

"You look nice, Grimm."

"I know I do. I work hard for this body."

"…I'd almost forgotten how  _modest_  you are."

Ichigo was inwardly disappointed. Grimmjow hadn't said a word about how he looked. Did he even care?

After eating their lunch, the two sat down near the water and watched the clouds move about the beautifully blue stained sky.

"Kurosaki."

Ichigo turned to look at the man calling his name.

"Huh?"

"I don't really know how to say this...but, when I'm with you, I notice we do the strangest things. Like watching the stars, lying pointlessly in the grass, watching the clouds and so on."

"So? Is there something wrong with doing stuff like that with me?"

"That's not what I was getting at. What I mean is, it's different, but I've kinda started to like it. I can't think of anyone else in this world I'd rather be with like this."

"That's sweet of you to say. I feel the exact sa-"

"That being said, you should work out with me. I mean, look at those scrawny arms compared to mine. I can't keep being seen with you like this. It's bad for my rep."

"Way to completely ruin the moment, Grimmjow."

With a smirk on his face, Grimmjow leaned over and kissed the smaller boy gently on the neck. It was his way of saying he was only kidding.

Ichigo got the message and fell onto his back pulling Grimmjow down with him.

* * *

Day quickly turned to dusk as the two lay beside one another watching the sunset. This beautiful occurrence was not one to celebrate though.

The two packed their beach bag and walked silently back to Grimmjow's car.

Ichigo walked a few steps behind to figure out what he should say. Grimmjow was leaving tonight to move into his new apartment. He was leaving him here in Karakura. No matter how often he visited, it just wouldn't be the same. He needed Grimm here by him, but saying that would make the other feel compelled to stay.

What love would that prove? Seeing his boyfriend on the right track was all he could ask for. Especially considering his previous employer and line of work. To take that away from him…that would just be selfish.

No matter how great their relationship had come to be, there was no stopping the inevitable. One day, Grimmjow may leave for good.

He looked up at the mess of blue hair that was dyed in orange from the sunset. How many steps ahead of him would he jump? Was this simple distance between them all there would ever be?

Unbeknownst of the mental turmoil the one behind him was enduring, Grimmjow unlocked his car and got in. He then quickly unlocked and opened the door for Ichigo.

The drive back was depressingly mute. Soon, the sky turned a mix between navy and violet. Ichigo looked out his window at the stars littering the sky. He made a silent wish to one. That wish was that no matter how far the two drifted, or what trials came their way, that they be able to still stay true to the way they feel now. To change without necessarily changing. Just like that song by Miwa.

When the car came to a stop in front of the clinic, Ichigo gave a fake smile to Grimmjow, kissed him goodnight, and stepped out. It was important to hide just how unhappy he was inside about this matter form him.

"Night, Kurosaki."

"Good night, Grimmjow. I hope you find your way back home safely."

Ambiguous. That was what he wanted that statement to be. Whether it be back to his mansion tonight, back home on the weekends, or back to his arms in this town, Ichigo hoped Grimmjow would just be safe. After all, now he couldn't watch him and tend to his needs as much as he used to.

"I'll see you Friday. Don't miss me too much." The bluenette grinned.

"Idiot…" It was like he couldn't even tell how much this was killing him inside.

"Kurosaki." Grimmjow called when Ichigo reached the door.

"Yeah?"

"You'll always be mine. I promise you that."

Before Ichigo could utter a response, Grimmjow pulled off into the night.

"Yeah. No matter what." He said to himself.

Glancing up at the sky once more with a promise in his heart, he unlocked the front door and entered his home.


	3. Not Alone

Tuesday morning. Light shined through the blinds in Ichigo's room and landed perfectly on his eye. He grumbled and pulled the cover over his face. It was Tuesday now. Yesterday, he stayed home from school. Ishiin caught him and asked him why he would want to miss his first day, and he could not give a good answer.

Things just felt wrong.

All day he had sat about his house in silence. That is, until Yuzu and Karin came home. He changed his demeanor as soon as he saw them. The last people he wanted to worry about him were his little sisters.

Without warning, Renji burst into his room and shouted his good mornings. Rukia followed behind and smiled when she saw Ichigo.

"Renji, what are you doing here?" Ichigo asked irritably.

"Good morning to you too bedhead! I guess I'll just have to take Rukia to school all by myself." The redhead responded.

"R-Rukia?"

Throwing the sheets back, Ichigo was surprised to see Rukia standing in the center of his room. It had been a whole summer they'd spent apart and he missed her terribly.

"Morning Ichigo." The short girl smiled.

"It's good to see you Rukia."

"You too, Ichigo. I just got back last night. I hate that I missed the first day of school, but there was nothing I could do to get here sooner."

"Did you hear? Ichigo got a job at some weird shop." Renji informed.

"It's better than being a waiter slash dishwasher!" said boy snapped.

And just like that, Ichigo was thrown from his thoughts back to the world that was still moving around him. It was a temporary switch, but one he needed none the less. He was glad to see Rukia, so he could only imagine what seeing everyone else would be like.

That was all the initiative he needed to get out of bed and get ready for the day.

* * *

"Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue chirped when she saw him in his desk.

"Hi Inoue." The boy responded.

"How was your summer vacation? Did you have lots of fun?" she asked, taking her seat in front of him.

"It was good. I spent a lot of time with Grimmjow…but I really missed you guys more than anything."

Inoue. The bubbly, beautiful girl with the most sincere heart a person could possibly have. It was hard to believe she spent a whole summer away at Tatsuki's. Things were admittedly much duller when she wasn't around. Ichigo was glad to see she had returned safely and that she hadn't changed either. She was currently going on and on about how great her visit was.

These two had met one day when her brother was brought to his family clinic years ago. They were unable to save his life as he was mortally injured. But even after losing her only  _known_  relative, Inoue still befriended Ichigo and cared deeply for him.

He frowned after realizing what was actually going on with her visit to Tatsuki's. Inoue had no family of her own to visit. Sure she had "distant relatives", but no one even knew who or where they were. He was still set on the idea that she was some kind of princess. It was hard to believe someone like her didn't hail from royalty.

"Good morning, Kuorsaki." Ishida spoke as he took his seat a few seats ahead of the two.

"Hey Ishida. How was your summer?"

"It was decent."

"Didn't you go to South America?" Inoue asked.

"Yes. I did some research with my father on various parasites, medical plants, and diseases. Nothing to brag about."

"Nothing to brag about…?" Ichigo asked under his breath.

Ishida. One of the most condescending people Ichigo had ever befriended. How on earth they were still friends was beyond him. But Ishida was one friend he was glad to have. The two were able to discuss, on a more basic level, a lot of things in their medical experiences.

When he needed assistance at the clinic, Ishida was the first one to come and help out. Possibly because he wanted to escape his overbearing father whenever he could. There was a strange love those two had for each other. Strange indeed. Well, not in any freaky kind of way. They just did weird things together to bond.

"Hey Ichigo, Inoue. Good morning Ishida." Chad said as he entered the row and walked to his seat behind him.

"Chad! Hey! How was Mexico?" Ichigo asked.

"It was good. I learned to cook a new dish I had been failing at."

"We should cook together sometime!" Inoue beckoned.

Chad. Someone who stuck out of the crowd as much as Ichigo had. They got along well since freshman year when Chad had first moved to Karakura. They stuck their necks out for each other and their other friends. For some reason, they were drawn to each other. It may seem strange to outsiders, but sometimes misfits make the best of friends.

The last two to enter the classroom, Rukia and Renji took their seats on the row next to Ichigo. Everyone spent their time catching up before class began.

He began reminiscing how he had first met both of t them.

It was freshman year. Rukia had been new to town and wasn't fitting in very well. It was a shame to see such a nice person all alone all the time.

Every day at lunch, she sat alone in one of the study rooms.

Ichigo had walked up on her one time while she watched some anime on her laptop. He had seen it himself and began to wonder how well he would get along with her.

That's when he made his move. Upon inviting himself to eat with her one day, she didn't deny him or shy away. It actually seemed as if the whole time she had been hoping someone would force themself into her life.

And from that day on, Ichigo invited Rukia to eat lunch with him and his group near the tennis courts. She fit in better than he could have hoped.

Then during sophomore year, Renji transferred in. In the beginning, he didn't fit in at all. Rukia was his only friend, but even with that being so he stayed to himself. It didn't help that his style of clothes and tattoos made him stick out like a sore thumb. He was also kind of obnoxious and moronic.

One day at lunch, Ichigo sat next to him and randomly began a conversation. That's when he found out that they both liked soccer and had similar taste in music and television. His desire to befriend Renji stemmed from the fact that Renji was actually a nice person under his appearance and he was quite attractive.

From then on, they had been close. As time progressed and the two got closer, Ichigo started developing romantic feelings towards the other. He successfully hid those feelings from him for quite some time until one day Renji jokingly felt him up in the locker rooms and his erection gave him away. But even that didn't ruin their friendship. The redhead took the boy's attraction as a compliment.

Despite having known about those feelings, Renji seemed even more interested in being friends with Ichigo. It was the complete opposite of what he had expected to happen.

"Rukia, did you bring extra lunch? I didn't bring any and I don't have the money to pay the cafeteria." Renji spoke.

Rukia turned around and shook her head disapprovingly, "You can be such a mess sometimes. Unfortunately, I'm on a diet right now so all I have is fruit and yogurt."

"You can share my lunch, Abarai-kun!" Inoue offered happily.

Seeing that he had no other options, he accepted her offer.

The way everyone got along was great. Looking around him, Ichigo was glad to know that even though Grimmjow was gone, his friends were still here and he was not alone.

He vaguely caught a comment from Renji who was glad Senna wasn't in their first period class. Then Rukia busted his bubble by reminding him neither was Shuhei.

Senna. Hearing her name was reminiscent for Ichigo. It was freshman year when she moved to Karakura from Hokkaido. She got popular and met a group of girls who said she fit in perfectly with their group.

One day, they told her to meet them in the gymnasium after they got out of fourth period class. He saw her making her way over to the designated meeting point and took a shortcut. Upon arriving, he found out the girls had planned to douse her with a bucket of oatmeal when she stepped through the doors. He was utterly disgusted to notice a small crowd on the opposite end of the room. He had to think fast to save her from the humiliation. Then he noticed the locker room doors were open.

Just as Senna stepped into the gym, the school mascot pushed her out of the way and had the downpour fall on it.

The girls started laughing and so did the crowd. But Senna was shocked. It hadn't taken her long to figure out what was going on.

Pulling off the mascot's head, she gasped to find that it was the strange, delinquent boy with orange hair and the notorious reputation.

Ichigo, unable to take the laughter any longer, stood and left the gym and a speechless Senna. Later, Ichigo and his entire entourage were surprised when she joined them for lunch. She was quiet at first, but Inoue and Rukia helped her come out of her shell.

After lunch, she pulled Ichigo aside and thanked him sincerely for what he had done for her. From that day forth, she spent all of her time around him and his gang.

Early sophomore year, just after meeting Renji, she moved back to Hokkaido due to her father.

She was back now though and everything went back to normal for the little lunch bunch.

Ichigo was drawn from the memories when he saw Stark enter the classroom and give him a wave. He smiled, and then frowned when the other's eyes left him. He was glad that Stark was still attending school, he was, but that reminded him that Grimmjow was no longer here.

School without Grimm would be tough to get used to. There was no doubt about that.

Miss Misato entered the room and started happily announcing a camping trip scheduled about a month or so away from today at Daisetsuzan National Park. Great, camping.

Ichigo rolled his eyes when Rangiku asked if there would be a place to bathe and tidy up. There very well could be, but it probably wasn't anything like she was hoping for.

* * *

Inoue accompanied Ichigo into the cafeteria at lunch. She had, of course, offered to share her lunch with him, but he turned her down. She had to share with Renji after all.

After getting the dishes he wanted in a togo box, he and Inoue made their way over to the trees near the tennis courts.

He sat down and noticed their lunch group was quite large. Ishida, Inoue, Chad, Rukia, Renji and Senna were part of the main group. Then there was Tatsuki, Chizuru, Michiru, Mahana, Ryo who sat just a few feet away from them. Then there was Keigo and Mizuiro who sat off playing their new handhelds. Oh, and Shuhei. He usually sat with Renji and Rukia.

He listened in as everyone discussed their plans and new jobs.

Renji worked part-time as a waiter and dishwasher at a sushi shop. He was saving to buy a car and pay for college in case he didn't get any scholarships.

Senna worked at the sub shop he and Grimmjow visited as a cashier. Her mother drove her to work and her father picked her up on his way home from his job.

Inoue worked at a bakery. It was quite fitting that she worked surrounded by pastries and sweets. It wasn't far from her apartment so he wasn't concerned for her safety as she went home. She only worked Wednesdays to Fridays.

He himself worked at Unagiya's establishment. It was a place that didn't really have a specific duty. They just went around doing jobs for people in the city. He only worked there Mondays through Thursdays from one to five.

Shuhei worked at a guitar shop as a cashier and repair man. It was a cool job indeed. Ichigo had visited him and spent a few hours just watching him repair the instruments.

Chad worked Fridays and weekends in the warehouse at a department store. Warehouse work was work fit for people with strength like he had. And the pay was eleven dollars per hour.

Rukia was a cashier at a major bookstore. However, she and everyone else wanted Ishida's job.

He worked at a game store. It was a job all of them had applied for at some point or another but never got called back for. He said it was just something to hold him over until he got into medical school.

Everyone was now working and becoming real adults. There would be much less time to spend being teenagers, but true friends  _made_  time for one another. He knew he would see them no less throughout this last school year.

Then he was reminded that he would need to make time for Grimmjow too since he could only see him on the weekends.

Rukia noticed his expression and moved over to him.

"You aren't really eating your food. Are you okay?" she asked.

"Y-yeah. It's just…"

"Just what?"

"…Well, Grimmjow is in Tokyo and I won't get to see him as much." He frowned.

"Is that what you've been so down about lately?" Renji asked, joining them.

Senna crawled over to them and smacked the bottom of her fist to her palm, "I saw your picture up on our wall! You two looked so confused."

"Oh. That's because the cashier was being a fangirl. We also weren't expecting to have our picture taken." Ichigo smiled.

And just like that, everyone gravitated to him. In the beginning, for most of them, he had gravitated to them. But now the tables were reversed and everyone seemed to be drawn to him. For some reason, they all found a home at his side. And he was fine with that. If they were misfits, then so be it. Bonds like these were indestructible. Just like it was with them, his bond with Grimmjow was one that would never be torn asunder.

With that in mind, Ichigo became somewhat relieved and continued conversing with the friends he worked so hard to get.

* * *

Wednesday was an important day to the obnoxious, tattooed redhead. Tryouts for the soccer team were held on this day and he had been anticipating it all summer. Renji grinned up at the group watching him up in the stands.

It was just after fifth period so the group in the bleachers was small. It consisted of Ichigo, Inoue, Rukia, Rangiku, and Shuhei. Shuhei blushed when the goofball blew him a kiss.

"You shouldn't be so shy." Rukia smiled.

"I know… I just wish he'd be more serious and stop acting like-like a…"

"An idiot?" Senna asked, making her way up the stairs and over to the group.

"I wasn't really gonna say that, but I guess that description fits his behavior..."

"Get lost, Senna!" Renji yelled from the field.

"You want me here and you know it! You  _need_  my support!" the girl retorted.

"You wish!"

Ichigo, ignoring the two's familiar banter, let his eyes run over Renji's outfit. More specifically, to his calves. The socks and guards he was wearing showed off how strong they had gotten in the past years. Although he was over his crush on him, Ichigo couldn't deny that Renji was attractive.

Crystal blue eyes looked over at him.

"He really is eye-catching isn't he?" Rangiku asked him quietly.

"Uh…"

"Don't worry. It's okay to find others attractive even when you're with someone. As long as you don't act on your thoughts, you'll be okay." She smiled.

This was different. Of all the people in the world, never would Ichigo have imagined Rangiku would start a conversation with him. Especially about Renji's sex appeal.

And she had a point. It wasn't terrible to find someone attractive while you're committed. Just so long as you have the decency to keep your thoughts from being verbalized. But...when did she get to be so nice and friendly? Is this why Inoue hung out with her so often?

The honey blonde girl stood and ruffled his hair, "You're one lucky kid, you know that? Take care of that oaf you love, and the bad boy you're  _in_  love with."

Without another word, the girl smiled and left the bleachers.

What was that all about?

Ichigo irritably fixed his hair and turned his attention back to the field. Renji was now seated on the bench, tired and seemingly out of breath. His legs were currently wide open. He must have been giving himself room to breathe down there.

Quickly looking away when the redhead looked over in their group's direction, Ichigo sighed. Why did Renji taunt him like this?

Brown eyes looked over to Shuhei. Maybe the grand view was for  _him_ … That would make more sense.

As soon as practice was over, Renji ran over to the group panting, sweaty, and exhausted. In complete disregard to all of that, he grabbed Shuhei in a tight hug and kissed him all over his face excitedly.

"Wish me luck, Shuhei!" he ordered.

"Renji! Let go of me! You're sweaty!" Shuhei demanded, putting his hand on Renji's face and pushing him away.

Dark brown eyes turned to Rukia.

"Don't even think about it, Renji." She said.

"I hope you make the team Abarai-kun!" Inoue smiled.

"I'm not aiming for just making the team. I wanna be Varsity Capitain." The redhead exclaimed excitedly.

"Aren't we hopeful…" Senna said under her breath.

"What was that?" Renji asked.

"Oh, nothing."

"Oh, I have a car picking us up. You guys can spend some time over at my place if you want. But Renji, maybe you should shower before it gets here. You're kind of ripe…"

Taking the hint, Renji promised he'd be back and headed for the showers.

Rukia, followed by the rest of the group, made her way to the parking lot. On the way there, Ichigo noticed that Renji had left his bag at the bottom of the bleachers. He walked over to it, picked it up, and entered the showers.

He was going to give it straight to Renji, but then he noticed there was no one in the open area. All the showers were running so knocking and telling him he had brought it was out of the question. He really didn't want to just leave it. People steal like there's no tomorrow especially in locker rooms.

Just then, a shower door opened and Renji stepped out. He smiled big when he saw Ichigo standing with his bag in hand.

"I was just looking for that! My shampoo, clothes and towels are in there." He ran over to Ichigo and took the bag, "Thanks!"

The whole time, Ichigo was frozen. Renji must have been used to people seeing him naked like this because he didn't seem to mind at all right now.

"Renji…"

"Huh?"

"Cover up… What are you thinking?" he said, looking away while blushing.

The redhead looked down, jumped, and blushed himself. He immediately threw his hands over his privates and started laughing.

"Sorry Ichigo. It's kinda habit to walk around this place naked."

Ichigo turned to leave. He had seen more of Renji than he wanted to right now.

"Don't take too long. Our ride will be here soon." He said.

"R-right."

When he reached the door, the other called out to him.

"Hey Ichigo."

"Yeah?"

"You know I got a better package than Jaegerjaques. It's just too bad you're with him and I'm with Shuhei. Nothing we can do about us now." He said regretfully.

Ichigo exited the room without comment. Renji had a point. It  _was_  too bad. If things had worked out in their favor, then yes, they could be together. But the other waited too late to tell him how he felt. Grimmjow was his world now. His love for Renji might never be the same as it was back then, but he would always love him none the less.

And he was wrong about the package part. Grimmjow was bigger, even if only by a little.


	4. For the Future

Make plans for a future of happiness. For without aspirations, humans simply exist and nothing more.

* * *

Friday afternoon.

Ichigo had just gotten out of class and was now making his way home without hesitation. He didn't want to seem too eager though, so he kept a normal walking pace back to his house.

But he  _was_  eager. This evening, Grimmjow was coming home for the weekend. He had waited for this since Sunday night when they said their goodbyes.

The walk back was a decent one to say the least. The sun was shining bright and the day was more beautiful than any other. It was like the world itself was emulating his cheerful mood.

After entering the front door of the clinic, Ichigo was met with his father sitting at the dining room table.

"Hey dad." He spoke.

"Oh, Ichigo. I have to get used to this new schedule of yours. You get off so early in the day I don't have as much time to myself anymore."

"You don't need to worry about that. I won't be bothering you. You probably won't even know I'm here." The boy said, taking off his shoes and heading to the stairs.

"Oh, Ichigo! I forgot to tell you. I'll be going out on business for about two weeks. I need you to take care of any patients we might get while I'm away. I trust you can handle it." Ishiin said with a smile.

"Right."

Without another word, Ichigo hurried up to his room and undressed. He quickly showered and stopped in the mirror to make sure he looked nice. Looking at the clock on the wall, he saw that it was only twelve thirty-two.

"Still about five hours before Grimm gets here." He sighed.

Then he remembered he had some Language and World History homework to do. At least if he did it now, he'd have the rest of the weekend to spend without procrastinating because of Grimmjow.

When he entered his room, he noticed a greeting card on his bed. Another one from Urahara. Six months later and he still can't stop checking in to see about him.

"Maybe he just wants a date with dad." He joked.

The thought of those two together made him go wide eyed. Shaking the thought from his mind, he sat down at his desk and pulled out his notebook and textbooks.

* * *

Time never seems to fly by when you're anticipating something. But when you want it to slow, it seems to speed up. That was just the way things were.

It was now four thirty-three. He was almost done with the two chapter assessments he had been assigned. Yuzu and Karin greeted him earlier when they got home, then Yuzu said she was going to start dinner around six.

Looking back at the clock, Ichigo sighed, "Why can't time go by faster?"

"Because you're impatient."

Flipping around, Ichigo saw Grimmjow standing in his room near the doorway.

"Grimmjow! It's not five yet. What are you doing here?"

"Didn't know you were so eager to see me, Kurosaki. And do you really need to ask? My minimum speed limit is forty miles per hour on the interstate." The bluenette smirked.

"Right. And yeah, I won't deny that I'm glad to see you. I am." The orange haired boy smiled.

Grimmjow stalked over to the boy and bent over his shoulder.

"What the hell? What are you reading?"

"Oh, that's my French book. I'm taking French  _and_  Japanese this year." He spoke softly.

Blue eyes glanced over the pages.

"It is. You know, my mom was fluent in French."

"You never told me that. Actually…" thinking before speaking, he remembered that Grimmjow had told him that his mother abandoned him long ago and stopped.

"What?" the bluenette asked.

"Nothing."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really. Now back off, your breath's not so great." He joked.

Grimmjow leaned in and pressed his lips to the crook in Ichigo's neck.

"It's been a lonely week, you know." He spoke provocatively.

"I know… By the way, how was it out there?"

"Don't try getting out of this, Kurosaki. You probably want it more than I do."

"Move."

"What?"

"Move, I have to go close the door. You never seem to remember to do that when you come in here."

As Ichigo made his way to the door, Grimmjow shadowed him, mouth to neck, and pulled him over to the bed once it was closed.

"You got out of it on the beach  _and_  the morning you promised me, but this time there's no getting around it."

"I'm not trying to this time." the boy spoke while running his hands up Grimmjow's back.

He grabbed the hem of the man's shirt and lifted it over his head. Gently, he ran his fingers back up the muscular trail up to the soft blue locks.

"Have you been bathing regularly and washing your hair?" he asked.

"Every night. It gets pretty messy in the factory." Grimmjow responded, voice heavy with desire.

When Ichigo started massaging his scalp, Grimmjow grabbed his arms and stared at him.

"What?"

"Don't do that. I'm not in the mood…"

"Don't wanna purr?" the orange head sinisterly grinned.

When he felt his nipples being twisted through his shirt, Ichigo dropped his hands.

"Glad we worked that out." The bluenette smirked.

Without another word, Grimmjow slowly undressed the one beneath him. He could feel his desire burning stronger with every passing second.

Finally, he had the boy just how he wanted him. He slid his tongue down the center of Ichigo's torso and dipped it into his belly button before continuing on his way downward.

Ichigo rested his head on his pillow and panted heavily when Grimmjow's mouth surrounded his member.

"Did you miss the wildfire?" he asked jokingly.

Grimmjow didn't respond. He had started bobbing his head at a faster pace now.

Brown eyes went wide when the heat left his privates and he felt something moist against his hole.

"G-Grimm! Don't put your mouth there! It's dirty!"

"You're such a germophobe." The bluenette smirked while shaking his head.

Continuing what he was previously engaged in, Grimmjow slid his tongue over the hole a few more times. Then he sat up and removed his pants.

Ichigo moved forward and kissed Grimmjow's chest. He brought one of his nipples into his mouth. Then he noticed something.

"Grimm…" he called, looking up at him.

"Yea?"

"You're growing chest hair. I thought people who work out a lot shave their bodies."

"I don't have too much free time so I won't be working out as much as I used to. Besides, I like my body hair."

Smiling at the familiar sense of individuality Grimmjow was displaying, Ichigo moved further down and brought the man's penis into his mouth.

At first, he kept a slow pace. But the hand on the back of his head forced him to speed up. He kept it up as much as he could but it was getting to be too much. Before he could be forced down too far, he pulled Grimmjow's hand from his head and furiously removed his member from his mouth.

"I've told you not to do that. Are you  _trying_  to choke me?"

"Sorry, you just don't go down far enough."

"If I go down any further-"

"Let's get the main event started." Grimmjow interrupted.

Ichigo squinted, but relinquished his frustration at the man on account of him being glad to see him.

To his surprise, Grimmjow laid him down on his side and positioned himself behind him. He turned his head questionably, but before he could say anything, Grimmjow had brought their lips together.

Ichigo put his hand on the man's cheek and kissed him fervently. When Grimmjow shoved his tongue further into his mouth, he suddenly remembered where he had just had it earlier.

Pushing away, he blushed at Grimmjow's adorable look. His eyes were heavy lidded, his mouth was slightly agape, and he had a questioning look on his face.

"You just licked my ass. I don't really wanna kiss you after that." He said.

"You really are a pansy, Kuorsaki."

"Maybe, but you always come back to me. So I guess you shouldn't complain as much as you do."

There was some truth to that. No matter what, he was intent on always coming back to Ichigo. He had found solace in this relationship and even though he would never admit it, Ichigo was all that he was looking for.

When he had walked up on him studying earlier, it made him proud that one of them took education so seriously. Kurosaki was a bookworm even if he didn't think so. That was one of the cutest things about him.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Grimmjow grabbed his penis and brushed it against Ichigo's calling hole a few times before seizing the boy's leg and lifting it for easier access. Then, he slid himself into it. He smiled when the smaller boy moaned out in a mixture of pain and pleasure.

Slowly, he pulled out. Then he pushed back in as smoothly as he could manage. He would rather go all out, but he wanted to give Ichigo some pleasure since it had been quite a few days since they last got together like this. Besides, it would be no fun if he finished too quickly.

While he kept his pace, Grimmjow leaned over and brought his lips to Ichigo's once more. However, he was rejected once more.

"Kurosaki, don't be like that." He said in a persuading voice.

"Grimm, I ca-"

With his free hand, he grabbed the back of Ichigo's head and forced him into a kiss again. Despite this, he was blocked off because Ichigo sealed his lips shut.

"If it's a game you want, it's a game you'll get." Grimmjow said against his lips.

Releasing the boy's suspended leg, he brought his hand to his face and pinched his nose.

Ichigo's face turned redder than it had been before and he took a swing at his captor. Grimmjow easily dodged and smiled deviously.

"Open up if you wanna breathe."

Ichigo held his breath for as long as he possibly could before he could hold it no longer.

*GASP*

Blue eyes flashed and Grimmjow saw his chance. He waited a moment to let him catch a few breaths then went in for the kill. With one hand on the back of Ichigo's head and the other pinching his nose, he forced a kiss from the one beneath him.

Ichigo's eyes went wide as he felt Grimmjow's tongue going deeper than it had gone before.

Was this aggressive and overly dominating behavior the result of their separation? Grimmjow had never been this forceful before.

Even though he was peeved about the kiss he was forced into, Ichigo did not retaliate. The only thing he could have done in this situation would be to bite Grimm's tongue. Was he really that upset? No. He would settle for hitting him later. Not to mention mouthwash.

For now though, he would return the kiss. He did love Grimmjow after all.

When he felt the other begin to quicken his thrusts, he knew the end was near. Even after his nose was released, he continued to kiss the other. This was too blissful a moment to get snippy. Then that same hand flocked down to his own forgotten member and stroked.

One thing was for sure, Grimmjow was a good lover. He was always making sure Ichigo got the most out of every go round.

One final stroke and Ichigo exhaled deeply as he came on the man's hand. Just a few thrusts later the deed was done. He could feel the pulsations as Grimmjow quickly pulled out of him.

Grimacing at the sight, Ichigo turned away as Grimmjow licked his hand clean. After minutes of heavy breaths, it became clear that a shower was necessary. Not wasting any time in his need to get clean, Ichigo was first off the bed and had to drag the larger man with him. They covered up with a towel and quickly hurried out of the room and into the bathroom.

Surely, there would be no play this time around.

* * *

After their bath, and a mouthwash, Ichigo poked his head out the bathroom door. He hadn't gotten any clothes for either him or Grimmjow on their way here. Seeing that it was all clear, he slowly crept out, holding Grimmjow's arm and dragging him along.

"Onii-chan. Is that you?" he heard Karin ask.

She was coming up the stairs.

"Shit!" Ichigo exclaimed, jetting for his room.

Immediately after getting in behind Ichigo, Grimmjow slammed the door, leaned against it, and slid down to the floor. The last thing he wanted was for Kurosaki's little sister to see him naked. Although he was all for showing himself off, he wasn't interested in doing so for  _that_  kind of audience.

Ichigo walked up in front of him with a t-shirt and pair of shorts in hand.

"No undies?"

"I told you I haven't done laundry yet. I was going to do it tonight."

Grimmjow cocked his head and gave a look, but took the clothes anyway.

"Wanna help me study?" brown eyes gleamed hopefully.

"I'd really rather not…"

"Fine.. Then watch tv or something."

At that, Ichigo walked over to his desk and sat down.

Grimmjow put on the clothes and jumped onto the bed. He got as comfortable as possible and lay quietly in place. He then began observing.

Particularly, he observed the little things about his lover. The way Kurosaki brought his pencil to his lips when he was stuck, or the way he pinched the top right corner of the textbook pages in his fingers even when he had just changed the page.

Ichigo looked over to him, "You know what I've always wanted to do, Grimmjow?" he asked.

Grimmjow shook his head.

"I've always wanted to go to med school and come back here to take over the clinic. But, I don't think I'm good enough so I'm not sure what I'll do once I graduate… With hope, I can at least assist dad for a while and get some more experience."

"Well, I believe in you. I mean, you came through for me lots of times. And all those days you had to work with your old man says you at least know what you're doing."

"Thanks, Grimm." Brown eyes looked to the blue ones staring in their direction.

"I'm working hard right now because I want to move out for good. And wherever I go, after you're done with school, I want you to come with me." Grimmjow said seriously.

"I… I couldn't leave Karakura… Here is where I belong… But I'm sure we can work something out. Like, you could stay here…with me…?"

"Well shit. I can't stay here. I work in Tokyo. There's no way I can drive back and forth between the two every day, Kurosaki."

Ichigo looked back down to his homework, "I know… But we'll find a way. For now, let's just enjoy the weekends we have together."

"If I can get high enough up the ladder, I'll get paid enough so you won't ever have to work." The bluenette smirked.

"I can't just sit around being some housewife…or househusband..."

"Don't stress over this so much, Kurosaki. I have this gut feeling that things'll be okay. We got time. Lots of it."

Ichigo sighed and closed his textbooks, "Right. Let's go see a movie or something."

"All right, let's do it." Grimmjow said, hopping off the bed.

The future was so daunting right now. But as Grimmjow had said, somewhere deep down, Ichigo knew things would turn out okay. For as drawn to each other as they were, there was no distance that couldn't be overcome. It was just an obstacle. And once an obstacle is overcome, whatever has overcome it becomes that much stronger.

Love was no different.


	5. Nights

Let the mind soar and admire the distant stars from this familiar place…but make sure to be aware of what happens here on the ground…

* * *

Sunday night. The unfortunate end to a beautiful first weekend for Grimmjow and Ichigo. The two had said their bitter goodbyes and prepared for the coming week just a little earlier. Ichigo was now currently sitting alone at his window, phone in hand, looking up at the stars.

They were so interesting. Each one was like a little portal to a different world. People who claim the world is a terrible, evil place must be on something. Then again, the world is what you make of it. If you see the beauty that outweighs the faults, then you're sure to live a better life. After all, the world isn't the problem. It's the people who inhabit it.

"Onii-chan! It's getting late! I'm putting the food up for the night!" Yuzu called, interrupting his thoughts.

"I'll make sure to eat in the morning!" he responded.

His phone vibrated. Rukia had responded to his question.

" _I haven't played that one yet. Ask Senna."_

They had been texting about Final Fantasy games. He asked her the plot for the thirteenth, but she apparently barely got to ten.

He made sure to tell her that the final boss music was killer before texting her good night.

Right after his phone told him his message was sent, Yuzu ran into his room with a horrified look on her face.

"Onii-chan! Come quick!" she cried.

Ichigo knew not to waste any time following her out of his room. Yuzu and Karin never cried without good reason.

Fllowing her downstairs, brown eyes went wide at the sight of a beaten and bloody man barely standing in the front door. Karin ran over to him and grabbed him under his arm to provide support. As soon as she did, they both nearly fell to the floor.

Ichigo had dashed over and supported his other side. After a moment, it was easy to tell this man was heavy set under his jacket.

The two made brief eye contact, and then Ichigo looked away. The guy was pretty good looking…despite his bruised face.

"Onii-chan, let's take him to the treatment room." Karin spoke.

"Right." He had forgotten that their father was out of town.

Things were now up to him. He couldn't screw this up. It was his chance to prove that he was competent.

After hauling the man into the room, they stripped him of his outermost layers to inspect the damage. There were signs of a blunt object being used to attack his torso. His face seemed okay apart from a few bruises and the bleeding nose and mouth dripping with blood.

Ichigo glanced at the clock. It was now nine o'clock. He should have been getting ready for tomorrow, but for him, patients had to come first when his father wasn't home.

When they got into the room, Ichigo and Karin led the black haired man to the bed and laid him down on it.

"Thanks for…helping…" he uttered.

"Don't talk. You need to save your energy. We're gonna take care of you so just take it easy for now."

Karin turned and looked at her older brother. A smile graced her lips. He sure could be comforting when he wanted to be. He was usually this way with Grimmjow when he came to the clinic with signs of a fight all over him.

When she noticed the time, however, she apologized and began retreating from the room. She had a history report to do that she had yet to even start.

"Good night, Karin." Ichigo smiled.

"My brother'll take good care of you mister. You're okay now." She said before exiting the room and closing the door.

Brown eyes turned and looked the battered man over. Something about him was off.

"Sir, have you been drinking tonight?" he asked.

"Gehahahaha! I always-always drink! This is noth-nothing." The man stumbled over his words.

"I'll do what I can for you tonight, and then I'll wake up early and talk with you once you come around."

"Yeah…"

"Oh, can I have your name? I'll be collecting your information in the morning."

"Kugo. Ginjo Kugo."

Ichigo paused for a moment. That name sounded somewhat familiar to him. It was as if he had heard it a long time ago.

"Okay, Ginjo. Can you turn over for me? I need to observe your backside."

Ginjo flipped over onto his stomach and slowly started to lift his shirt.

Seeing the difficulty the man was having with this task, Ichigo got closer and lifted the shirt. He scanned his backside and only noticed a few red areas from where Ginjo had been struck.

"Must have been some attacker."

"Caught me off guard. He'd better hope I never find out who he is because if I do he'll never see the light of day again."

Placing his hand gently on Ginjo's back, Ichigo rubbed and asked if he was feeling any pain.

"Only in the areas I was hit. Everywhere else is okay." The man replied.

Pulling out a handful of cloths, Ichigo wet one with water and the other with peroxide. He first cleaned the man's face of all traces of blood, then went over his bodily wounds with the peroxide. He was sure to be as gentle as possible. For some reason, he really enjoyed this. It reminded him of all the times he helped Grimmjow.

Some late summer nights, he would sneak in through Ichigo's window and silently go to sleep beside him. The next morning Ichigo would have a clear view, thanks to the sunlight, and notice bruises on his face and body.

When asking him about them, the only response he got was, "It's nothing."

Frowning, Ichigo wondered if Grimmjow had gotten involved in something  _else_. Then he remembered the people his boyfriend usually hung out with. Nnoitora. Aaroniero. Ulqiorra. Szayel. Luckily he didn't seem to be involved with that Yammy anymore. Though it was most likely he was fighting with Nnoitora, that idea was pure speculation. He could have been fighting with random people from road rage or just lashing out on thugs. There was honestly no telling with Grimmjow.

He was like a cat. Let him out and he comes back beaten and bruised and all you can do is wonder how.

"Okay. If I leave you alone for the night, do you think you'll be okay?"

Turning over onto his backside, Ginjo smiled and spoke, "Yeah. But I'd prefer it if the doctor stayed here with me."

"I can't do that. It's unprofessional sir."

"I gotcha...Now worries. Just wa-wake me when you come in the morning."

"Okay."

Without another word, Ichigo stood and exited the room. He had given the most basic of checkups for now. In the morning when he had his energy, he would treat the man's injuries. He was in no immediate danger so leaving him as he was wouldn't be a problem.

He headed up to his room and plopped down as soon as he got to his bed. The night was calling his name and he was not about to ignore it.

Flipping off the lights, he looked out his window at the moon and stars once more before he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Monday morning.

Ichigo's alarm clock went off causing him to wake from his sleep. It was now time to begin another week without Grimmjow.

He turned the alarm off and got out of bed to go take a morning shower. Before entering the bathroom, he made his way to the room where Ginjo was staying. He was surprised to see the man was awake and sitting up in his bed.

Noting the time, he gathered the man's billing information and gave him a follow up check up.

"You seem to be doing okay. We're going to keep you here one more day just to make sure nothing's wrong. Is that okay with you?"

"That's fine. Do whatever you think is necessary, doctor." Ginjo replied.

"You know, you remind me of my boyfriend. He's always getting into fights and then he comes running right back to me as if this is a safe zone or something." Ichigo smiled as he spoke.

"Boyfriend?"

"Oh, sorry. Guess I shouldn't bother you with my personal life."

"No no no. It's fine. Tell me more about him."

"There isn't much to say really. Well, when I think about it, I guess there is… He was involved in this mess I had to help him out of. But he saved one of my closest friends in the ordeal from these two girls who were jealous of her."

"How'd he do that?"

"I'm not sure... He has a quick temper so I don't put it past him to have snapped or something. It's something I choose not to think about."

It was indeed something he avoided pondering. But Inoue had told him that one of the girls was about to kill her and that she had also shot Grimmjow. The fact that he stopped her without killing her was enough proof that he had some control over himself. And he had done a good job. Inoue is still alive now because of him.

"Can I get your name?" Ginjo asked, drawing Ichigo from his thoughts.

"I'm Kurosaki, Ichigo. But this is my father, Ishiin's clinic."

Suddenly, the man's eyes went wide and he sat in silence for a few moments.

"A-are you okay sir?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh... Yeah. I was just remembering something…"

"Remembering-"

"I think you might just be late to school if you don't hurry." he smiled.

"Right. I'd forgotten what time it was."

After ensuring the man would be okay on his own for a few hours, Ichigo hurried back to his room and grabbed his clothes.

He took a quick shower and ate breakfast with Yuzu and Karin before all three siblings headed off to school for the day leaving Ginjo all alone in their house.

* * *

Ginjo sat in his bed with a calm expression on his face. However, his thoughts were speeding about the boy who had just left him.

It was many years ago when he was still a teenager and Ichigo was but five years old. He had promised the boy that he would do anything to make him happy to repay the kindness his mother had shown him.

"Masaki…" he uttered quietly.

Shaking his head of the distant memory, Ginjo slowly got out of bed.

He exited his room and made his way to the hallway. The little boy he wanted to make his own was now a grown man. And what an attractive one he had grown up to be.

Sticking his head in one of the open doorways, he could tell this room was for the twin girls he had seen last night. He was not interested in going in, so he continued until he came to the door with the fifteen hanging from it.

The door was closed but not locked, he discovered, upon turning the knob.

As soon as he entered, he recognized the familiar scent it held. It was Ichigo's fair scent. One he was always happy to encounter.

Immediately after one glance over the room, he noticed a few things about the boy right away. One, Ichigo was studious. There were textbooks piled up on one end of his desk. Two, he was neat. His bed was made and there was nothing on the floor. Three, he was interested in music. There was a guitar in the corner near his television.

Once he turned, he saw the boy's closet door was slightly open. He walked over to it and opened it a little more to snoop around. He saw a bandanna neatly folded on top of the dresser that was inside it. But that was strange. Bandannas didn't seem like the boy's style. Then his eyes landed on the clothes hamper. It was half full.

Lifting the top, he saw the clothes Ichigo had changed out of just a little earlier: a sleeveless t-shirt, sweat pants, and a pair of boxer-briefs.

His eyes were glued to them. He reached out his hand and picked up the underwear then brought them to his nose.

With eyes closed, he inhaled deeply to get the scent. He took a few more deep whiffs then smiled. Ichigo's scent was a nice one indeed.

After feeling a pair of eyes on him, he glanced over at the stuffed animal leaning against the wall on one of the shelves.

"A lion? Ichigo, you're such a child…" he smirked.

A child to him that was. Ginjo was in his thirties while Ichigo would be nineteen soon. All the times he saw him as a child, he knew he'd have to wait for them to be together and so he did. Being so much older than the boy was something he liked though.

Giving the stuffed lion one last look, he put the underwear back in the hamper and pushed the door back to its previous position.

Deciding he had looked enough for now, he exited the room and closed the door behind him. After all, there would be no area of that room he wouldn't know in due time.

* * *

Ichigo sat next to Shuhei in his third period Language class. It had taken him a few days to even notice him over in the corner by the window. Shuhei was somewhat quiet after all. Up until this point, he assumed this and his fourth period classes were ones he would be taking solo. Now it was just his fourth.

"Hey, did you do the homework?" the other asked.

"Most of it. I'm okay with a few points off though." The orange head smiled.

"I got through half of it, then Renji came over. I guess you know why I didn't finish."

"He's quite the distraction isn't he?"

"Kira says he's a bad influence, but I don't think so. He's never purposely done the wrong thing. I know he means well."

"Agreed. Oh, you and Kira are roommates, right?"

"Mhm. And Hinamori. We all get along well. Rangiku sometimes invites herself to stay with Hinamori in her room…which is cool when she's not monopolizing the bathroom..."

Ichigo shook his head. Same old outer group of friends acting the same way they used to.

"Well, I'm sure they have their complaints about  _your_  house guest." He grinned.

"I try to keep him in my room as often as possible. But he has good manners when he stays over. His room at Urahara's is a mess though." Shuhei said with a smile.

Once he heard that, Ichigo was immediately reminded of how he and Grimmjow were. Grimmjow was a decent house guest, but back at his own house, he was a mess. His room was never organized. He threw his dirty clothes on the floor and seldom washed them. Out of the kindness of his heart, Ichigo had begun doing the man's laundry when he visited him. What he was doing in Tokyo was a different matter completely.

How someone lived in such a nice mansion but never wanted to clean house was strange indeed. But it's not like that was Grimmjow's own house. Mansions and all the high class home accents seemed to be his father's style.

"So how's Grimmjow? Is he doing okay out in Tokyo?" Shuhei asked.

"Yeah. His first week was good. He kept telling me how dirty he gets and how much he wants to… Uh, well nevermind. He's doing well. Just not eating any home cooked meals."

He forgot discussing Grimmjow's obscene fetishes was something he shouldn't do. If Shuhei accidentally slipped and said something, it'd be hell on earth. Of all the ears in the universe, Renji and Senna's were the ones those secrets should never reach.

"Why don't you cook for him then?"

"Me? Cook for him?" Ichigo almost chuckled at the thought, "I can't cook. Or, I've never tried to…"

"I think you'd make him feel like you really care about him if you did. It's the thought that counts. Besides, doesn't Yuzu know how to cook really well? I'm sure she'd help you."

What a good idea. Who would have guessed Shuhei was so cool to be around? Before actually hanging with him at his job, Ichigo never really thought twice about him. But they had a lot in common and could spend lots of time just chit chatting if nothing else.

"I'll make sure to try cooking this weekend when he comes and let him taste some."

It was going to be challenging, but if it meant giving Grimmjow a decent meal, he would give it his all.

After a second of thinking about what how eager doing this was making him, Ichigo realized he was acting a little housewife like…


	6. A Matter of Patience and Effort

If one applies as much effort as they never knew they could, they could be rewarded.

* * *

Wednesday evening. Grimmjow lay under a car he had worked on all day. It was now about to drive him insane. Of all things, he hated working on older cars. They were so out of his range of knowledge he sometimes wished it was illegal to drive them.

Kurosaki would scold him for even thinking something like that. He'd probably go on and on about how not everyone was as privileged as he was so they had no choice but to drive an older model vehicle.

With one last turn of the wrench, the car was now out of his hands. Just then, oil began leaking.

"Damnit!" he shouted angrily.

A foot stepped on his creeper and slid him from under the car. And they had good timing too. Oil began spewing to the ground almost right after he was slid out.

"Who the-?"

"I thought I recognized that voice of yours, Grimmjow."

Blue eyes went wide with surprise at the man standing above him.

"Y-Yylfordt?! You son of a bitch!"

"So you haven't forgotten me huh?" the blonde man asked.

"Fuck no!"

Grimmjow quickly sat up from his rested position.

"Same old rambunctious Grimmjow."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Yylfordt smiled and flashed an employee badge, "I'm a sales rep see?"

"Can't take the wear and tear of the mechanic's work, huh?"

"No, grease monkey. I don't have the slightest interest in what lies below the hood of a car."

"Tch. That's what makes the car what it is."

"Anyway, what brings you to Tokyo? I thought you were in Karakura."

Grimmjow shrugged his shoulders, "I needed the pay."

Yylfordt leaned in and whispered into the bluenette's ear, "I heard about Aizen. It was all over the news a few months ago. I was wondering what happened to you since they only mentioned him and his arrest. And what about my little brother?"

"Szayel is fine. Same weirdo he's always been. As for Aizen, I don't really wanna talk about that ass."

"I gotcha, I gotcha. So…"

"So what?"

"How are the pickings in Karakura? Get with anything worth mentioning in that town?"

"Heh, I'm locked down."

Maroon eyes went wide and blonde eyebrows shot upwards.

"What? The untamable Grimmjow has been tamed?! Am I living in a different universe or something? Maybe I should go visit sometime!"

After that outburst, Yylfordt walked around the man a few times to make sure he was the real Grimmjow.

"Who was it?" the slender man asked, jumping into Grimmjow's face, "It must have been sex on legs or a greek god to put a leash on your ass."

Grimmjow smirked and closed his eyes momentarily. Then he pulled out his phone and flipped through his pictures until he found a decent one of himself and Ichigo.

"What a pretty guy… His hair stands out just as much as yours does." Yylfordt said with a smile.

"Pretty?"

"Yeah. He's a pretty boy. Seems kinda preppy too. Or maybe it's just his outfit in the picture… Anyway, I thought your dad hated you dating guys…uh…well,  _seeing_  guys. You've never really had a relationship because of him, huh?"

Grimmjow's expression changed from a boastful one to a serious one.

"Grimmjow…?"

"Yeah. My dad found out about Kurosaki and he wasn't too happy."

"Really…?"

Flashback

Ichigo sat and texted on his phone while Grimmjow lifted weights in the workout room of his mansion.

Grimmjow inhaled and exhaled heavily with each thrust of the bar. He looked over to Ichigo and smirked, "Giving up already?"

"Not everyone can work out for hours on end. Besides, I did more than you." Ichigo said, looking up from the screen in front of him.

"You did the elliptical and hit the punching bag. Wow." Grimmjow spoke with each breath he exhaled.

Ichigo rolled his eyes and looked back to his messages. Then he noticed it was past five o'clock.

"You don't have to deny you want to watch me, Kurosaki. I would too if I was in your shoes."

There was no response given to that. And so the room became quiet other than the noises the weights made as Grimmjow lifted them.

Brown eyes slowly looked over the figure rested on the weight bench. Grimmjow was wearing athletic shorts that were slightly tight, running shoes, and socks that went up to his calves. He had taken his shirt off earlier when they started.

This wasn't something they did often. Actually, this was only the second time Ichigo had worked out with him.

It was interesting to watch Grimmjow that was for sure. Especially his clothes. They always gripped his body the right way. And right now, he had a good view of the man's bulge through his shorts.

"Wanna spot me, Kurosaki?" the bluenette asked when he heard footsteps coming his way.

"Sure."

Once the weights were rested on the holsters, Grimmjow's arms fell quickly and swayed while suspended above the ground. He panted and closed his eyes tight, feeling pain coursing through his biceps.

A hand on his chest surprised him. Ichigo was now kneeling beside him smiling.

"What's that smile for?"

"I'm just surprised that even after all this weight lifting, your arms don't look as repulsive as some people's."

"What?"

"It's a compliment. I'm glad you don't look like a monster."

"Doesn't really sound like a compliment to me..."

Slowly, Ichigo leaned over and stopped right in front of Grimmjow's face. Their noses made contact for a moment before the boy brought their lips together.

One thing he liked more than anything was how sweaty Grimmjow looked. Sweat. On the right person, it could be an attracting feature.

Even though his body seemed spent, Ichigo could feel Grimmjow taking control of this kiss. It was crazy. Despite his lack of energy, he was still overpowering. But that didn't mean he was about to give in to him. Grimmjow was powerless now.

The bluenette could feel Ichigo smiling and knew he was up to something.

"Grimmjow!" Neliel called from the living room.

Said man was too distracted to even notice the girl calling his name.

Both Ichigo and Grimmjow's heads turned quickly when the door opened.

It was his father.

"Grimmjow…"

The man was surprised at the sight of the two. Ichigo's hand rested on Grimmjow's stomach now, and they were mere centimeters apart. But even in the mix of emotions showing in those deep blue eyes, there was a hint of exhaustion in them. He must have realized there was no way to control who his son was involved with after all the years of scolding.

"Still don't knock I see."

"I don't need to knock in my own house. Who is this young  _man_?" he asked, putting a barely noticeable emphasis on the last part.

Just then, Neliel ran up the stairs and into the room, "I called you." She mouthed to the exhausted man on the bench.

If only he listened to his sister more often…

End Flashback

"So what did he do?" Yylfordt asked.

"Nothing. It was like he didn't even care."

"Isn't that what you wanted? Now you can be with whoever you want."

"It doesn't matter. He still gives me that look every time he sees me. I just hope I won't be living with him for much longer. The only reason I didn't move out here for good was because of Kurosaki."

"You must really like this kid, huh?"

"Fucking right. He's hard to deal with sometimes, but I can't help but like him. I wouldn't find another ass like that anywhere…"

"A little too much information, buddy… Back to the main point, are you dead set on staying with him?"

"Yeah."

Yylfordt sighed, "Guess I can let you know about a little secret our company has kept."

"Secret…?" Grimmjow echoed.

"Yeah. You're new here, but I don't see why they wouldn't consider you for it."

"What? Stop beating around the damned bush!"

"Branching."

"Branching?"

"Yeah," looking down at his watch, Yylfordt continued, "Let's get a drink and talk."

* * *

Neliel sat on the couch in the living room with legs up to her chest. She was wearing her signature oversized, green hoodie and nothing but her under garments.

She flipped aimlessly through the channels on the television and sighed.

"It's just the same as when he was still here every day of the week, huh?"

The girl jumped and turned her head to see her father slump down on the opposite end of the large sofa.

His shirt was open and his tie was undone. He clearly had a tough time at work today. And he had been working in his study since he got home earlier so she had forgotten he was even home.

"Yeah…"

The man looked at her and then to the television.

"You look and act just like these hooligans you watch." He said benevolently.

"Dad, do you… do you love Grimmjow?"

This drew the man's attention. He had even forgotten what he had said to her mere moments ago.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I love him. He is my son after all."

"Yeah, but sometimes, I think you really hurt him. You don't yell at him anymore, but even I can feel the disappointment you throw his way."

"What do you mean, Neliel?"

"Well, particularly the way you look at him. I remember when you found out about Ichigo and you avoided Grimm for days. But he really loves Ichigo, and Ichigo loves him too. I know about your faith, but of all people, do you think God would want you judging and disdaining your own son? Don't you think, for the deity you're so faithful to, you should love and accept others…?"

The man sat on the couch, speechless. Neliel of all people was lecturing him about Grimmjow. He never expected this. This was the second time one of his children rose against him in such a way. But when someone as innocent and free-spirited as Neliel to come to him with this…

"It's our duty as humans to love those in our lives. What does it matter if Grimm likes other boys? He's a person with feelings. The only reason he's so reluctant to show them is because of the way you and his mother treated him. I'm not trying to be disrespectful, I just want you to treat Grimm like he's a person and not a disappointment…"

"Neliel…"

"Oh, and you're right. It  _is_  the same as if he was here because he's usually gone or shut up in his room." She spoke, voice faltering and full of emotion.

"Neliel…"

Neliel stood, smiled, and said good night before quickly retreating to her room.

It wasn't like she had malevolent motives. It was just so hurtful the way Grimmjow had turned out thanks to his parents.

She turned off her light then walked over to her bed and fell over on it. The moonlight flooded through her curtains and illuminated her figure as she buried her face in her pillow. She just had to get out of that room before the tears fled from her eyes.

"Grimm… you poor idiot…" she sniffled.

* * *

Grimmjow held his half empty cup in his hand and stared at the man next to him at the bar with the most serious look plastered on his face.

"Could I be moved to Karakura?" he asked.

"Possibly. If you can prove you'd be beneficial to the company while at another branch, then yes, they'd move you. But the company actually branching is just an idea at the moment. It'll take a while for a final decision to be made."

"I gotta be moved…! If I could get back to Karakura-"

"I'll put in a good word for you. If being transferred means that much to you, I'll make sure to run it by the boss. He likes you right?"

"Che, I guess."

Yylfordt shook his head. Lifting his cup, he toasted, "To branching businesses!"

Grimmjow didn't raise his cup. He was too absorbed in the thought of going back to Karakura and back to Kurosaki.

He would need to work really hard and prove he would be valuable to a new branch. For Ichigo, he would put ten times the effort.

" _Wait for me, Kurosaki."_ He thought.


	7. An Important Man with an Important Purpose

Things are not always as they appear. What seems like simple friendship could truly be the deepest love.

* * *

Friday evening. Yuzu bounced about the kitchen as she prepared her signature curry for dinner. Karin quietly snuck up to the counter and picked up a few carrots then attempted to sneak away but Yuzu turned around and caught her.

"Karin-chan! Those are for the curry!"

Ichigo looked over to the two girls and smiled. He then turned his attention to Grimmjow, who was seated on the couch with a textbook on his lap. Of course, it was his doing that Grimmjow was studying in the first place.

"Kurosaki, I can't take another minute of this!" the bluenette exclaimed, tossing the book to the floor.

"Grimmjow, you have to keep your grades up. I want you to graduate in our year."

"Fuck this…"

"Grimmjow, not around my sisters..."

Karin walked over and leaned over Grimmjow's shoulder, "Looks boring." She said.

"Tell me about it! It's your brother making me read this!"

"Onii-chan, don't be a bully!" Yuzu called, waving a cooking spoon in the air.

"I-I'm not-"

"Yeah, Kurosaki. You're such a bad person."

"For helping you pass your classes?!"

"A bad person..." Grimmjow said again with a smug look on his face.

When Ichigo squinted, Grimmjow immediately straightened up and averted his eyes. He knew better than to play games when he was testy like this.

Quickly, he picked his book up off the floor and opened it to the page he was reading from. Even if he wasn't going to read it, he would at least pretend to. Then again, Ichigo had probably read the chapter and assessment and would likely quiz him on it later.

The house had become silent as everyone busied themselves for quite some time until…

DING DONG

All four sets of eyes turned to the door. Ichigo made to get up, but Karin beat him to the punch. She opened the door and smiled, "Hi, Ginjo."

"Ginjo…?" Ichigo asked.

After seeing the boy get temporarily distracted, Grimmjow laid back on the couch and carelessly tossed his book to the floor.

"Ginjo, hi. I'm making curry tonight! You can join us if you're not busy." Yuzu said when he entered the house.

Ichigo looked at the man and waved. In his head, however, he was wondering what the man was doing at their clinic. Actually, he had visited two days in a row. It wasn't like they were forcing him to come back or have follow up checkups.

Blue eyes followed Ginjo with each step he took. The world was upside down right now because of the way he was reclined but he got a good feel of Ginjo's aura. It appeared normal at first, but then it felt like there was something hidden away buried deep.

Ginjo sat down to the table and began conversation with the double pigtail haired girl.

"Grimmjow."

"Yeah?" said man asked lazily.

"Why is your textbook on the floor?"

Grimmjow jumped at the question and the tone Ichigo threw at him.

"Uh…well…"

"Onii-chan! Dinner's ready." Yuzu said.

Ginjo smiled and sat down to the table. He glanced over to Ichigo and waved with happily closed eyes.

Then he turned his attention to Grimmjow. His presence was most unwelcome and his lethargic demeanor made it all the worse. He had unkempt blue hair that flowed forward and backward at the same time. His clothes were very different from Ichigo's as well. Ichigo dressed nicely. This new character was dressed in a shirt-turned muscle shirt with the sleeves cut off and what looked like running pants.

It made him wonder why he was even here at the clinic. Then he noticed the books on the couch.

He smiled upon realizing that Ichigo was tutoring him. Wasn't that sweet? It just made him think more of Masaki and Ishiin's son.

Yuzu placed a plate in front of Ginjo and smiled warmly, "I hope you enjoy it!" she said.

Karin sat down to the table and looked to Ginjo. He seemed to be enjoying his time at the clinic.

Yuzu bounced when Ichigo and Grimmjow sat down at the table next to each other. Everyone was now seated. Karin across from Grimmjow, and Ichigo across from Ginjo. Yuzu placed their plates down in front of them and then sat down herself at the end of the table.

"I hope you like my curry too, Grimmjow!" she said.

Grimmjow looked to her, then back to the plate in front of him. Without any hesitation, he picked up his fork and began eating. After the first bite, he began scarfing down the curry.

Ichigo looked over to him and shook his head. Then he remembered what he and Shuhei discussed. He forgot to ask Yuzu tonight, but he would remember tomorrow to help make Grimmjow a home cooked meal.

"This shi- I mean, this food's pretty damned good."

Ichigo threw a look at him which he did not miss.

"Sorry! I tried to catch it but it slipped out."

Karin grinned and Yuzu told Grimmjow not to worry about Ichigo then thanked him for the compliment. Everyone at the table watched as the two men interacted but there was one who was not as interested in Grimmjow's actions as the rest of the group.

A foot that brushed against Ichigo's under the table drew his attention away from the seemingly nutrition deprived man next to him.

It was Ginjo. He was making a face about Grimmjow's table manners.

Although he knew Grimmjow could be a little out of control, the last thing Ichigo wanted was for Ginjo to look down on him. So he turned his attention away from both men and back to his food.

He wasn't meaning to be rude to the man who just invited himself to eating dinner with them, but he sure as hell wasn't about to have someone belittling Grimmjow and acting like it was okay.

Thanks to Ginjo, dinner had become increasingly uncomfortable for him. Luckily no one else seemed to notice.

* * *

"Why are we up here in your room?" Grimmjow asked.

After finishing dinner, Ichigo decided to move the party upstairs to his room in order to avoid all contact with Ginjo. The two were now seated on his bed, Grimmjow at the foot leaning against the wall and Ichigo sitting Indian style near the head.

"You have a problem with being in my room?" Ichigo asked.

"Don't answer my question with another question, Kurosaki. You've just been acting weird ever since that guy showed up."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, as soon as you saw him, you ignored me and allowed me the slim chance to take a break from this infernal hell you call studying."

Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Let's just finish this last chapter so we can go out and do something."

Grimmjow smirked, "Why go out? We can have more fun in here."

"Well, I kind of wanted to go and see this movie. It's been out for a while, but I don't know how much longer it'll be in theaters. And I wanna go with you."

"Why?"

"I-is it a crime to want to see a movie with you now?!"

Although the two were confined to Ichigo's room with the door shut, there was still an outsider who had just begun listening in on their conversation.

Ginjo stood mere inches away from the door in the hallway. He told Yuzu and Karin he was going to the bathroom, but when he heard Ichigo and Grimmjow talking behind the door, he paused.

Right now he was just overhearing them talk about whatever it was they had been studying.

"Why would he take someone like him into his room?" he thought to himself.

After a few more moments more of listening to the two chat about their topic, Ginjo continued on his way to the bathroom. He decided he would leave in a while because who he really came to see was now locked away from him with the street thug looking bluenette.

It puzzled him greatly as to how and why Ichigo was friends with someone like that. He was too good for the manner-less, obnoxious, ingrate.

"But soon I'll have you right where I want you." He grinned.

* * *

Brown eyes looked over to the clock on his desk in the now silent room. Ichigo looked over to the pile of textbooks on his bed then sighed. It was after twelve now and Grimmjow was knocked out on his bed. His snoring was sure proof of that.

It was unlike him to be asleep this early, but he forced him to study so it made sense.

"What a dunce." He smiled.

Ichigo decided he would go downstairs and watch something on their media streaming provider.

He left his room and then went immediately to Yuzu and Karin's room to make sure they were all right. After all, he had left them downstairs with Ginjo. It wasn't his best decision at the time, but he needed to get away from him. Besides, Ginjo's interest didn't seem to be focused on either of them…

When he saw their sleeping forms, he was able to put his concerns to rest.

With that out of the way, he made his way down to the dark living room and sat down on the couch. Too bad Grimmjow was asleep. They could have watched a movie or started a new anime together.

Then again, that wasn't a good idea. Grimmjow's interests were so obscure. He didn't want to watch any anime but mecha or action types and he usually watched horror movies with an occasional comedy.

That was something he would change in due time though.

"I won't spend the rest of my life watching horror…"

Ichigo stopped himself in the middle of that sentence. Was he that committed to their relationship that he was already planning to spend the rest of his life with Grimmjow?

After careful consideration, he realized there weren't any issues with thinking in such a way. He loved Grimmjow. When he was with him, it felt like one of those songs that sounded galactic and out of this world. It was crazy how just thinking about Grimmjow made him content.

Soon the red screen came up and the options loaded. Just as he began flipping through the options, he heard someone approaching him from behind.

When he turned around, his eyes went wide.

"Hey, Ichigo."

"G-Ginjo? What are you doing here?"

Looking him up and down, he noticed Ginjo was wearing much more lax clothes.

"Your sisters made me stay the night. They think I'll get attacked again." He laughed.

"…"

The black haired man walked around the couch and sat down, leaving a pillow between himself and Ichigo.

"So whatcha watchin'?" he asked casually.

"Uh, I was about to watch an anime… Not sure which one though..."

"Anime huh? I have an acquaintance who can't get enough of shoujo anime."

"You don't say."

When the screen lit up, Ichigo took careful notice of Ginjo's physical form. He was pretty built. His muscles were more pronounced than Grimmjow's.

Ginjo caught him watching him and smiled, "I work out a lot."

"I could tell. Did you let yourself be beaten by those guys?"

"Nah. I told you there were too many of them and they came from multiple directions."

"You should be more careful then."

It wasn't the best distraction, but he had to make Ginjo forget how he was just checking him out.

Although he felt a bit guilty about it, mainly because Grimmjow was  _right_  up in his room, he remembered what Rangiku had told him: it was okay to look.

But if he was honest with himself, he felt a little disgusted for looking at Ginjo because he found him somewhat attractive.

Ichigo began searching through the shows in the awkwardly quiet room.

"I meant to tell you, it's nice of you to tutor people who need it." Ginjo said, breaking the silence.

"What? I don't mind tutoring Grimmjow. I can't let him flunk out of his classes."

"Like I said, that's nice of you."

Ginjo leaned over and ruffled the boy's hair while chuckling.

Ichigo drew away and angrily fixed his hair. This was the second person to do that to him. Honestly, what was the deal? Was he that childlike to everyone around him?

"You're an easygoing person, aren't you?" he asked.

Ginjo looked to him with big, clueless eyes, "Huh?"

"You're always laughing and smiling. Surely there must be something in your life that makes you feel…stressed."

"Why would you want to know that, doctor?"

"…I'm no doctor. I just took over the clinic in my father's stead."

Ginjo shook his head and then began thinking of all the things in his life that make him feel stressed. After all, Ichigo had been his doctor even if he didn't think so. Why not tell a doctor of what makes life difficult?

"Well, apart from Riruka, I'd say the one thing that stresses me out is managing my company."

"Company?"

"Oh! I never told you, but I'm the CEO of XCUTION Industries."

Brown eyes went wide with shock.

"Y-You're the CEO? Uso*!"

"Yeah. We're in major competition with the other major gaming companies in Japan, but for such a small town business, we're doing pretty well."

Even though Ginjo spoke of it like it was nothing, Ichigo was still in shock. He had bought multiple games that had been developed partly by XCUTION.

"I can't believe the CEO of XCUTION has been frequenting our clinic…"

"Heh."

"Oh, that reminds me… Why have you been coming as much as you have?"

"That's a long story, Ichigo. I've got someone I want to see, but like I just said, it's a long story."

"Well, I've got time."

"Don't worry, I'll tell you soon enough."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow then looked back at the television that had now dimmed from lack of attention.

"Uh…I guess I'll go up to my room and get some sleep. The tv's all yours." He said, tossing Ginjo the remote and joystick.

He wasn't one hundred percent sure about allowing Ginjo to stay and visit as much as he had, but he had the strangest feeling about him. He didn't think as terribly about him as he previously had...though he was still pretty creepy.

He would have to lock his door tonight and make sure to lock Yuzu and Karin's too.

Left all alone with just the imprint the boy had left on the couch, Ginjo's eyes travelled across the dark room. They stopped and stared at the poster of the smiling woman on the wall.

"Masaki, where are you…?" he asked quietly.


	8. Contact and a Secret to Keep

Touch can be both welcome and unwelcome, depending on the person it comes from…

* * *

Saturday evening. Ichigo sat quietly in the kitchen as Yuzu prepared dinner for everyone. He couldn't help but wonder what their lives would be like if Yuzu wasn't their own little private cook. What would they eat? How would the change affect their overall attitudes and well being? If there was one thing Ichigo knew, it was that a person's diet determines their energy and mental condition.

He was glad to know she was happy making dinner for the family.

Grimmjow entered the room and plopped down on the couch. His hair was wet and down. That meant he must have just gotten out of the shower.

Ichigo blushed but remembered what he was sitting at the table watching his sister for. This was his chance. Yuzu wasn't too far along in cooking, so he could still ask her to teach him.

Before he could though, Senna and Inoue walked down the stairs and entered the living room. They, along with Rukia, Renji, and Shuhei were all up in his room watching a movie. It must have ended otherwise the two now coming his way would not have been downstairs in the first place.

"What smells so good?" Senna asked.

"Oh Yuzu-chan! We should cook together!" Inoue smiled.

Ichigo's eyes went wide. He had just realized that Inoue would probably be sad if he asked Yuzu to help him learn to cook when she had always offered to teach him. But he wanted to learn for Grimmjow.

Before he could come up with a solution, Renji, Shuhei, and Rukia came downstairs. Renji was immediately drawn to Ichigo. Rukia took a seat on the couch and flipped on the television as Shuhei sat down beside her.

Rukia looked at Grimmjow, who was lying on his back with his legs propped up, and asked him why he was wearing a shirt that was too small for him.

The bluenette flushed with embarrassment and anger when Shuhei started chuckling. He was wearing one of Ichigo's shirts since he hadn't had the chance to go home, nor had he brought a change of clothes with him.

He honestly didn't think he was that much bigger than Ichigo. But after all the effort he put into his appearance, namely his upper body, it was no surprise that the boy's clothes didn't exactly fit him like they used to.

Renji shook his head and wrapped his arm around Ichigo's shoulder, "Ichigo, do you know how nice you are?"

"No…but since you think I'm nice, I could use a favor."

"Damnit, you beat me to the punch… Okay, what do you need?"

"I need you to get Inoue and Senna out of the kitchen. I want to ask Yuzu to let me cook with her tonight, but I don't want Inoue to get offended."

After a few seconds of consideration, Renji agreed to the proposition and took a moment to lure Inoue out of the kitchen. However, there was no way he could reason with Senna though. Ichigo was on his own with that one.

Karin paused upon seeing the large group in the living room as she made her way into the kitchen from her shared room with Yuzu.

"Karin." Ichigo whispered.

Said girl walked over to her brother and asked what he needed.

"Can you get Senna to go into the living room?"

"Sure." She smiled.

Once he was finally alone with Yuzu, Ichigo walked over to her and quietly asked her if she could help him learn to cook.

"Onii-chan! Of course! Why didn't you ask soone-"

"Shh! I didn't want everyone to find out."

He was hiding the fact that he just didn't want Inoue to find out. She and Yuzu seemed to have this spirited competition of who cooked better. Although he didn't often eat Inoue's food, he had heard from Rangiku that it was pretty good. It was something he kept putting off and thinking back on it, he realized that may have actually hurt Inoue's feelings. He made a promise to himself to let her cook for him at some point in the near future.

Yuzu told him how happy she was that he was helping her. There was a large group to feed tonight and she was worried she would have been overworked trying to feed them all.

"Please mince the veggies while I boil the noodles and prepare the sauce." She said.

Ichigo sat down to the table with his back to the group in the living room. A little bit after getting the onions cut up, he felt a warm pair of hands on his shoulders.

"What's this? I didn't know you could cook." Grimmjow leaned forward and whispered into the boy's ear.

"I can't. I'm just learning."

"Why would you want to learn how to cook?"

Ichigo turned his head and looked directly into the vibrant cerulean eyes, "For you, you idiot."

"Hm, you told me on multiple occasions that you didn't want to be some housewife, but now that's exactly what you're doing. Oh the irony." Grimmjow said.

"Maybe you shouldn't get a person angry when they're holding a knife, Grimmjow."

"You'd cut me, Kurosaki?"

"Deep." The boy replied.

"I don't doubt it. But…you probably wouldn't cut me as deep as I cut you..." The bluenette whispered before leaving Ichigo beet red at the table.

* * *

Sunday night. Ichigo was seated at the desk in his room, concentrated on some last minute homework. He had been so busy helping Grimmjow study that he had almost completely forgotten to do so himself.

The two had said their goodbyes earlier. Now he was alone in his room with nothing but the memory of the other.

He was at least able to give Grimmjow a decent meal for the week. They may have been leftovers, but Yuzu had done most of the cooking last night so there was nothing wrong with reheating them.

"Onii-chan." Karin called as she stopped and stood in his doorway.

"Yeah?"

"Ginjo stopped by for a visit a few hours ago. We told him you were studying so he wouldn't interrupt you."

"Okay. Is he gone?"

"No, we invited him to stay over in the guest room and he said that would be great."

Ichigo gripped his pencil. Why was this man so insistent on staying over at the clinic? He was a CEO and all, so why waste time visiting their small time clinic?

"Okay. Just make sure you two close your door."

"All right. Good night, Onii-chan. And don't stay up too late studying."

When he heard his door close, Ichigo sighed heavily. There was no point in letting Yuzu and Karin know how very uncomfortable he was with their guest. One thing was for sure though…Ginjo was taking advantage of the two girls.

He only seemed to come when he knew they were alone downstairs, and he knew they'd offer him a room for the night after they saw what happened to him a little while ago. He was taking full advantage of their sympathy and kindhearted natures.

If it were him, he would have personally escorted Ginjo back to wherever he lived rather than keep offering him a place to stay.

* * *

After another hour of studying, Ichigo felt himself getting increasingly tired. He looked at his clock and saw that it was now after twelve o'clock.

"Just one more page of these problems." He said, building up his confidence.

The thought of getting in bed and going to sleep was all the motivation he needed to speed through his homework.

KNOCK KNOCK

Turning his head, Ichigo wondered if that was one of his sisters or Ginjo.

"It's open." He said, hoping it was either Yuzu or Karin.

Unfortunately, his hopes were shot down. Ginjo smiled and entered the room.

"Do you need something, Ginjo?"

"Oh, no. I was just coming to see what you were up to."

"Well, I'm kind of in the middle of doing some homework-"

"Oh, let me see! I might be able to help you out!" the larger man said, walking over to and sitting down on the boy's bed before looking onto his page.

Ichigo became uncomfortable at their close proximity. He could feel the man's breath as he breathed calmly next to him and he didn't like it.

"I don't really need any help…" he said.

"Good because it's been years since I took a math course."

"Well, I guess you can leav-"

"Are you good at history? I noticed that's what you were tutoring that blue haired guy in two nights ago."

"I'm…not too shabby. But like I told you before, I can't let Grimmjow fail."

"Do you…like this fellow?"

"What?"

"Well, I couldn't help but notice you staring at him…even while you ate dinner."

"Ginjo, Grimmjow is-"

"Let me ask you a more interesting and important question. Do you…like…me, Ichigo?" Ginjo asked, gently putting his hand on said boy's thigh.

Ichigo's eyes went wide. Although he somewhat suspected Ginjo of being interested in him, he had only hoped it was his paranoid mind playing tricks on him.

This was no trick though, it was real. The presence of the man's hand on his thigh was proof enough.

Ginjo slowly and gently slid his hand up the boy's leg and rested it on his crotch.

"I can make you feel good, you know… Better than you've ever felt before."

Ichigo was currently frozen in shock and fear. A squeeze of the man's hand, however, broke his immobility and he slid away from him then hastily stood up.

"Ginjo, what the hell are you doing?!" he asked, keeping his shouting down to avoid waking his slumbering sisters.

"Ichigo, I don't know how else to say this so I'll put it bluntly: I want to fuck you." Said man responded with a serious look on his face.

"Wh-"

"I want to have you all to myself, every day of my life. I want to give you all the pleasures I possibly can. Especially the pleasure of having you screaming beneath me. I've wanted you for a long time, you know."

"Ginjo! I'm-I'm with Grimmjow! He's my boyfriend!" the boy said, still maintaining his lowered tone.

"You're with…that bum?"

"He's not a bum-"

"I noticed you hesitated when you said you were with him."

"That's-"

"You don't need him, Ichigo. Come back with me. I can make your life easier…the way your mother did for me."

Brown eyes went wide again. The mention of his mother and the thought of her…

"My mother would never have slept with you! Don't spout such foolish shit to me!"

"No, no. You misunderstand completely. At least let me tell you what she did for me since you seem so dubious."

Ichigo backed a few steps away when Ginjo rose off the bed, but his capture was inevitable.

Ginjo grabbed him by his arms and forced him onto the bed then climbed on top of him.

"Let me go!"

"I knew you wouldn't stay and listen, so I'm going to hold you down so you can hear my story."

"Ginjo…!"

"Ichigo, your mother was a wonderful woman. Lovely and benevolent. And if I had been a little older, I would have taken her from your father."

Ichigo closed his eyes tight and tried to lift his hands, but Ginjo's weight was too much for him to repel. He had no choice in the matter. He would have to hear Ginjo's story.

"I'm glad you understand the situation. Smart, beautiful boy. Now hear what I have to say, because you too were a part of my encounter with her. We have a shared history and it's time you heard it."

Flashback

Ginjo walked the streets of Karakura in his old, tattered attire.

He was eighteen and had recently been kicked out of the adoption center that had housed him.

Life was bad for him at this point. With no address, he couldn't get a job which meant he didn't have money for food, clothes, or a place to stay. Thus, he pick pocketed people, ravaged restaurant dumpsters, and lived in an old sewer pipe.

More than anything, he wanted to be rich. He wanted so much money he could buy this town out and live like a king instead of the peasant he was now forced to live as.

Then one day, he came across this woman in the park. She was sitting out in a field with her toddler and unmindful of her purse that was sitting right behind her.

With no one around, Ginjo snuck up behind her and had the purse in his clutches. However, the orange haired child started crying, putting the mother on red alert.

She quickly turned around and saw him standing behind her and gasped.

"What are you doing?" she asked innocently.

"I-I'm taking this purse and all your cash can't you tell?!"

"Really now?"

"Call for help! I don't care! You're just some over-privileged broad raising some over-privileged brat!"

The woman stared at him for a moment and smiled, "You know, I don't want you to take this the wrong way… but you look like you need a nice, warm home. I can help-"

"I-I don't need your damned help, lady!"

With that, he snatched the purse and made a break for it.

The whole time, though, he couldn't help but notice the woman was still smiling and the kid was still crying.

* * *

Sitting alone in the massive old pipe he had turned into a home, Ginjo looked out to the city. He could still remember the smile that woman had given him.

"What a stupid woman. Who smiles at someone who's stealing from you?"

Looking over to the purse, he felt a little guilty. Any other person who had caught him would have cursed him unmercifully. But this woman, she had smiled and said he looked like he needed a good home.

"Let's see how good your home is…" he said, opening the bag and pulling out her wallet.

After finding her address from her ID card, he stood and headed to the location.

What he found was to be expected. It was a nice little home and clinic on a nice street in a nice neighborhood.

Standing from a distance, he could see why she was smiling. She was a middle-class, Japanese female. Losing her purse meant nothing to her. She could have everything replaced in little to no time at all. Probably within a day.

Yet, why did she seem so caring towards someone who would inconvenience her by making her have to take time out of her day to do it?

When the front door opened, he didn't retreat. He stood and observed as the little kid from before emerged. Then  _she_ emerged with a stroller and two babies in it.

The walking child noticed him and ran over to him. This drew the eyes of his mother. As soon as she saw him, she smiled and made her way over to him.

"I see you came."

"Che. Whatever."

"Ichigo, come watch your sisters." She said, walking over to the black haired teen.

"…"

"If you need a place to stay, you're always welcome here at our clinic. My husband won't mind at all."

"…"

"Come with me. I was about to go for an afternoon walk with the children, but I can see you need my attention even more right now."

Ginjo was reluctant to follow, but did so anyway. There was something inviting and benevolent about this woman.

From then on, Ginjo stayed with the Kurosaki family. He even returned the purse he had stolen. A year later, when he got a job, he moved out leaving Masaki, Ichigo and the others behind.

But one thing he never admitted to the whole time he stayed there was falling in love with Masaki. She was about ten years older than him, give or take a few, but that didn't stop him from falling for the lovely woman.

Unfortunately, he would never be able to be with her since she was married with children. It was that realization that made him turn his sights to Ichigo. The one thing he had learned about the five-year-old was that he was quiet. It had taken him forever to get him to open up and begin speaking to him. When he did though, he realized this child was practically a mirror image of the woman who brought him from a life on the streets and into a warm home.

Before he moved out, he secretly promised Ichigo that he would repay his mother's kindness in the future. After all, he was far too young to court. But the future Ichigo was someone he was anxious to meet.

End Flashback

"You expect me to believe any of that?" Ichigo asked.

"Believe it or not, it doesn't matter. I told you, didn't I? I came here looking for someone. That wasn't the full truth. I actually came here looking for two people."

"My mother and…"

"Your mother and you."

"Well, you won't find her here. She's not here with us anymore…" Ichigo said.

The thought of his mother's passing caused him to ignore his feelings about Ginjo and the position they were currently in.

"I see… I'm grieved at the fact that someone as lovely as she was is gone now, but you're still here before me, Ichigo. You might not remember me, but I remember everything about you. I wouldn't be as successful as I am today had it not been for her. And I'll return the favor by taking care of you. I won't let you live a life of regret and poverty."

"What makes you think I would?!" the boy asked angrily.

"What makes me think you would? Simple. That shallow, gutter-dwelling, low-life, loser you're with. How much can he really provide you with? He'll never amount to anything other than mediocrity. Dump him and live a happy life at the top."

"You don't know  _anything_  about him so shut your fucking mouth! And get off of me! Get off and get out! Right now! Just go home, Ginjo!"

Said man sighed heavily with disappointment. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Ichigo's forehead then got off of him.

"Think it over. We can have a good life together, Ichigo. I promise you that." Ginjo said before leaving.

When he was sure the man was gone from the house, Ichigo sat up and found himself swept up in a cascade of emotions. Confusion, anger, and sorrow were now enveloping his mind. Mainly because of the horrible things Ginjo had just labeled Grimmjow.

"Mom...what's going on…? And what should I do…?" he breathed.

Grabbing his phone, Ichigo quickly dialed the number he was so familiar with that he knew it backwards. It felt like time was frozen in those few moments he waited for an answer.

" _Hello?"_

"Grimmjow…"

" _Kurosaki… Why are you calling me this late for?"_  Grimmjow asked. He sounded like he had just woken up. The "why" and "for" were a clear sign of that.

"I…I just needed to hear your voice…"

" _Kurosaki-"_

"I love you, okay? I always will."

"… _Why are you telling me that like I'd ever forget it? What's going on with you all of a sudden?"_

Ichigo sat in silence for a few moments. He was denying all that Ginjo had said before. He absolutely had to. Grimmjow wasn't a loser. He also wasn't a bum. And he wasn't any of those other names that had been laid on his name. He meant more to Ichigo than he would probably ever be able to put into words.

"Will you stay up with me for a while? I just need to talk to you."

" _About what?"_

"Anything, I don't care. I need to hear your voice."

"… _Fine. But if I fall asleep in my classes tomorrow, you know it'll be all your fault. I'm gonna call you if the teacher slams a book on my desk and let you talk to 'em."_

"Right now, the last thing I care about is your teachers... I just need this favor…just this once."

" _Okay. But I get to ask a favor of you at any time, about anything, and you can't deny me." Grimmjow responded._

"Deal."

" _Don't forget because you know I won't."_

"Yeah…"

The last thing he was going to do was to tell Grimmjow about what just happened. If he ever found out about something like that, there's no telling what he'd do.

This was something he would keep to himself for now. This secret that had now been forced upon him…he inwardly swore to never tell Grimmjow.

Right now though, just hearing the other's voice in the complete silence of the night was all he needed to remind him that Grimmjow was the furthest thing from a loser there was. He didn't know why, but when someone insulted Grimmjow, it felt like a stab at his own heart. Why was that?


	9. First-Class Technology

It's not easy to be forced to see someone that one would rather avoid.

* * *

Thursday after school.

"I can't believe you know the corporate executive of XCUTION!" Keigo shouted excitedly as he walked.

Ichigo rolled his eyes and turned his attention to anywhere but the animated boy walking ahead of him. Even though he didn't know the way, he had taken the lead on the trip. That's Keigo for you.

"I guess we got lucky we overheard you telling Rukia, huh?" Mizuiro asked.

His biggest mistake. Ichigo had been talking to Rukia about Ginjo, but avoided retelling what had happened Sunday night. She had apparently heard a rumor from one of his neighbors and he had no choice but to come clean to her. It was Rukia after all. She was one of his closest friends and he trusted her with anything.

That's when a pair of ears overheard this and demanded a trip to the company. Keigo's ears to be exact.

It would have been easy to turn him down, but then he started telling their other friends.

Ichigo turned and looked behind him.

Senna, Renji, Inoue, Rukia, Tatsuki, Shuhei, and Chad were all trotting behind him as they walked downtown. Keigo was ahead of him, and Mizuiro was beside him.

He should have been at work, Inoue too, but they had both luckily got the day off. Ikumi had to leave for the weekend and the bakery Inoue worked at was low on business today so they only needed one cashier. If he was honest with himself, Ichigo would rather have been at work dealing with Ikumi and her annoying kid than having to go to XCUTION.

It pained him deeply to be forced to see Ginjo again, but he had no choice in the matter. When everyone around you wants to do something only you can orchestrate, you have no choice but to do it unless you're okay with letting them down.

The only upside to this was that he was in such a big group that he would not be the main focus of attention.

"Hey, I see it!" Senna said, running ahead of the bunch.

Suddenly, Renji chased after her in a childish attempt to beat her to the destination. That caused Shuhei to chase him, and Inoue to follow. Tatsuki then ran after her.

Keigo apologized for leaving Ichigo in the dust and dashed after everyone.

"Are you okay, Ichigo?" Mizuiro asked.

"Me? I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You seem a little distracted."

"There's nothing to worry about. I'm okay." He assured the shorter boy.

He, Rukia, Chad, and Mizuiro calmly made their way to the corporate office in silence. It was safe to assume they were the quieter ones of their group of friends.

* * *

"Welcome to our office. How can I help you?" a woman named Jackie asked.

"Uh, don't know what to do here…" Keigo said, scratching his cheek.

"I guess we should have waited for Ichigo." Senna said.

"You were the first one to run off!" Renji shouted.

"Let's not absorb ourselves in the details." The girl smiled innocently.

Shuhei walked over to the counter and told Jackie they wanted a tour of the place.

"Unfortunately, I'm not the one who gives the tours and I can't send unauthorized personnel on one. You may have to come back at a later date after scheduling an appointment."

"That's BS!" Keigo said.

"Jackie, what are you doing in here?"

"I didn't know you were here, Riruka."

"I dropped by after school. Where's Ginjo? And who are these people?"

"Ginjo is up in his office. These are students who want a tour of the facility."

"Give 'em a stupid tour then."

Just then, Ichigo and the rest of the group entered through the front doors of the building.

"Are you with this group?" Jackie asked.

"I'm Kurosaki, Ichigo. Tell Ginjo I'm here for a tour."

"Wait a minute! Just who the hell do you think you are?" Riruka said.

Jackie sat down and called Ginjo.

"I just told you my name. I'd like a tour for myself and my friends."

"You can't just come in here like you own the place! If I was Ginjo-"

"He said the tour is authorized. Please give them one, Riruka. I'm very busy at the moment."

Riruka blushed and angrily told the group to follow her.

As everyone left the central lobby, Jackie sighed and turned back to her computer. She wasn't getting paid enough for this.

* * *

"Over here we have the research and development room. They gather all the information they can about the subjects in a game and bring them to life. Do not disturb them."

"I have a question!" Senna said, raising her hand.

"Yes?"

"How would someone go about getting a job here?"

"Uhm, by filling out an application...?" Riruka said with a tone.

"Hey, don't get snippy with me!"

"Everywhere you go…" Renji commented.

"Shut up, Renji!"

"If we're done with the irrelevant questions, we can continue the tour." The magenta haired girl said with an attitude.

"Oooh! I swear I'm going to get her!" Senna said irritably.

As they made their way down the hallways, Ichigo walked side by side with Riruka which made her increasingly uncomfortable.

She couldn't help but notice how nice he looked despite his scowling demeanor and unwelcome attitude. Then she wondered how on earth he was able to just say his name and have Ginjo snap to his wishes. Just who was this guy anyway?

"There's the game testing room. You can observe through the large glass panels, but don't disturb the participants." She said, ignoring the multitude of questions forming in her head.

Everyone made their way over to the room and watched the testers through the window. There were quite a few of them; each spaced out a good distance away from each other for some reason.

"What game are they playing?" Rukia asked curiously with her hand to her chin.

"Well-"

"Lemme guess, you can't disclose that information." Renji commented.

"Renji, don't be rude…" Shuhei said under his breath.

"He's one hundred percent correct. I'm unable to tell any of you what game they're playing. Even you." Riruka said, eyeing Ichigo down.

"B-back off!" the orange haired boy said nervously as the girl got closer to him.

"This is boring then! Is there an arcade? Please tell me there is!" Senna said anxiously.

Riruka turned and glared for a moment, then remembered she was a guest with this seemingly important Ichigo fellow.

"Yes, the arcade is a few floors above us. Follow me and-"

"Let's go!" Keigo shouted ecstatically, dragging Mizuiro with him to the elevator.

"Keigo! Let me go!" the smaller boy shouted as he was pulled away.

Senna shuffled after them, followed by Renji and Shuhei.

"You guys do know I'm giving the tour, right?" Riruka asked.

"Do a better job at it!" Senna said from down the hallway, sticking out her tongue and pulling at her right eye.

As everyone made to follow the boisterous group and Riruka, Inoue stood in place at the window. She had been so into what one of the testers was playing that she had forgotten where she was or who she was with.

When the game ended, she sighed, "Maybe next time." She said to herself.

The boy at the console had just lost. The level he was on seemed pretty tough too.

Inoue made her way to the entrance to the room and walked up behind the now fuming teenager.

"It's too bad you couldn't beat that boss! Maybe you'll get him next time." She offered consolingly.

"Who the heck are you?"

"Oh, silly me. My name is Inoue, Orihime. It's nice to meet you!"

"…Go away woman…!"

Inoue smiled warmly and sat down in a chair next to the boy.

"What's your name?"

"I don't have one."

"Sou ka? Well, let's give you one."

"Shishigawara, stop being so lame all the time. I know you're lacking in etiquette, but at least try to be decent." A blonde haired boy said as he entered the room.

"Sushigawara? What a strange name…"

"Y-yukio! Shut the hell up!"

"Ah that's right, you're not so good with girls are you?" Yukio teased.

"Get lost!" Shishigawara demanded.

"Are you starting a new game? I'd love to watch you!" Inoue smiled.

"Orihime, was it? You beat it too."

Yukio grinned and turned off the lights then left the room, locking the door behind him. It was time for Moe to learn to be decent with females…or people in general.

"Yukio!"

"Uh oh." Inoue said.

"Stop all the commotion! I can't concentrate!" someone yelled from the back of the room.

"Che!" Shishigawara irritatedly picked up the controller and started a new game.

"Yay!" Inoue smiled before scooting closer to Moe.

The mini-mohawked boy looked at Inoue closely. She didn't seem to be  _trying_  to be annoying, but she was none the less. He couldn't help but notice how stunningly pretty she was. Luckily the lights were off. The last thing he wanted was for her to see the redness of his cheeks.

* * *

Riruka stood at the phone attached to the wall with a questioning look on her face.

"Why, Ginjo?"

As everyone waited, Tatsuki couldn't help but notice something.

"Where's Orihime?" she asked.

"Inoue…?" Rukia said, looking around.

"She's a big girl, we don't need to worry about her." Renji said.

Shuhei shook his head as Tatsuki and even Ichigo glared at him.

"Everywhere you go…" Senna said.

"Sh-shut up…"

Riruka turned to the group and walked directly up to Ichigo.

"What?" he asked.

"Come with me!" she said, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him to the elevator.

"C-chotto matte*! Where are you taking me?!"

"Just come with me."

"What was that all about?" Keigo asked.

"Well, our tour guide is gone… What should we do?" Mizuiro asked, hinting they were free to roam the building.

"I'm going to go find Orihime." Tatsuki said.

"I'll go too." Rukia said, following Tatsuki.

Chad followed the two of them without a word. He too was curious as to where Inoue had disappeared to.

Senna watched as everyone walked away, "Who should I go with?"

She scowled at Renji. No way she was going to go anywhere with him. Besides, the look he had on his face meant he and Shuhei were seeking some alone time.

"Gross…" she stated quietly.

Keigo and Mizuiro were following Chad, Rukia, and Tatsuki. They needed to backtrack themselves to find Inoue. If the other two were going to the game testing room, then she would too.

"I kinda wish Neliel was here…"

Since she had skipped a grade, she was only a year older than Grimmjow's little sister. Therefore, they got along quite well and spent time going shopping together over the summer. At first, she seemed kind of annoying, but she was easy to get acquainted with and actually really fun. She even spilled a few secrets about Grimmjow. Little sisters liked to gossip about their older brothers, that was for sure.

"Guess something good came of the mess Ichigo went through with Aizen…though most of it was pretty bad…" she said to herself.

* * *

Ichigo stood in front of the doors to the executive office beside Riruka. He should have figured this was where she was leading him.

"I'm not going in there." He said.

"Look, I don't want you to. Just do it. He said he had something to talk to you about."

"I already know what it is and I don't want to hear it."

Riruka rolled her eyes.

Both jumped when the door opened and Ginjo stepped out from behind it.

"I kind of left his friends on the third floor. If they get into trouble, it'll be your fault since you had me bring  _him_  to you."

"It's fine. Just make sure they all leave together. Ichigo included." Ginjo said calmly.

"Sure thing."

"Can you give us a moment to speak, Riruka?"

"I don't get paid enough for this… Oh wait, I don't work here." The girl said, taking her leave.

Ichigo inwardly lamented as the girl's footsteps became fainter and fainter. He didn't want to be left alone with Ginjo.

Once he was sure Riruka was gone, Ginjo turned to the boy in front of him.

"Ichigo, I'm glad to see you."

"…"

"Have you considered what I told you Sunday? I really want-"

"Nope."

"…Don't be so cold. Come with me to my private bar." Ginjo offered and then grabbed the smaller boy.

"Don't touch me, Ginjo." Ichigo said, brushing the man's hand off his shoulder.

"Damnit Ichigo, what happened to you? You used to be so… so-"

"People change you know. I'm not five years old anymore."

Ginjo frowned. One thing left for him to try.

Ichigo backed away when the black haired man got closer to him. His back hit a wall and he was forced against it. Then a pair of warm hands grabbed his cheeks to keep him from looking away.

He jumped when Ginjo pressed his lips to his own.

Again, he was reminded of how strong the other was when he tried pushing Ginjo away. It was like pushing a brick wall. When he felt a tongue poking at his lips, he knew he had to try  _something_.

"GINJO! THEY'RE GONE! I TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN, BUT YOU DON'T LISTEN TO ME! YOU _NEVER_  LISTEN TO ME!" Riruka's voice rang over a loud speaker.

Ichigo couldn't have been more grateful for her shouting. It caused Ginjo to release him and distract him.

Just as he started to ease away, Ginjo turned to him.

"I'm not finished. I won't give up on you, Ichigo. We can be happy together and I won't stop until we are."

"I'm with Grimmjow! Why can't you understand that?!"

"You…you should go. The last thing I want is for you to be upset."

"Try something like that again and I swear you're going to regret it." Ichigo said before leaving the man alone in the hallway.

"We'll see." Ginjo said under his breath.

* * *

"Orihime!" Tatsuki shouted when she saw her in the dark room with the game testers.

"Tatsuki-chan!" Inoue smiled and waved innocently.

Shishigawara looked to the dark haired girl now running to the door and unlocking it. At least she relieved him of the stress that was being around this overly chipper girl.

"Hey, you should come to Renji's soccer match tomorrow!" Inoue said, looking down to Shishigawara.

"Why would I want to go to a soccer match for someone I don't know?" he asked.

"Let's go, Inoue. This guy's not worth your effort." Tatsuki said as she stood in the doorway.

"Karakura High stadium at four o'clock." She finished before making her way over to Tatsuki.

"Inoue, you shouldn't just go off on your own in a place you're unfamiliar with." Rukia advised.

"Sorry. I just got distracted." Said girl giggled.

"That's what the princess said before the evil count kidnapped her." Senna commented.

Chad stood quietly, observing the boy Inoue had left in the room. He seemed to be trying to avoid watching her leave.

When he did look though, he jumped when he noticed the large man behind the four chatting girls.

Just as Keigo and Mizuiro brushed past the group in the doorway, Ichigo walked up and said it was time to go.

"Aw! We just got here!" Keigo complained.

Mizuiro stood quietly, realizing Ichigo was going through something serious.

"Let's go, Keigo." He said.

"Mizuiro…?"

"Come on. We weren't supposed to be playing the games in here anyway. Let's be glad for this chance we got."

"I'm glad you realize that." Riruka said while approaching everyone with her arms folded.

"Hi Riruka-chan!" Inoue sang.

"All of you need to leave now. The tour is now over. There are only four floors to this building, and you're not allowed on the one above us."

"We don't need to take this." Senna said, grabbing a console off one of the desks and casually walking to the exit.

"If you take that, you'll be arrested." Riruka said over her shoulder.

"Tch!"

"Come to think of it, weren't there two more of you?"

"Renji and Shuhei." Rukia commented.

"Where did they go?" Tatsuki asked.

"H-here we are!" Shuhei called, rounding a corner on the opposite end of the room. As they approached, Renji made to grab his butt, but he grabbed his hand and held it tightly as they continued over to everyone.

Ichigo stood silently among his boisterous friends. At least no one seemed to notice how irritated he was.

Wiping his lips, he sighed. Of all the people his mother had to encounter, why did it have to be Ginjo?

"All right, let's head back to the front entrance." Riruka said.

Although most of them were reluctant, everyone followed her. For some, it was hard to leave after just seeing all of the amazing developments, but for Ichigo, he couldn't have departed sooner.

"Bye Riruka!" Senna said with a passive aggressive tone while waving her hand dismissively.

"Can you remind Sushigawara about the match tomorrow?" Inoue called out to her.

"Sushigawara…? Does she mean…? What a dunce…" the magenta haired girl commented under her breath.

This Ichigo had some very weird friends. What she really wanted to know was what Ginjo wanted to speak alone with him about and why he seemed so important to the man.


	10. Rays of Sunshine

Some people become clear skies in another's fantasy... or reality.

* * *

Friday evening.

Ichigo stared blankly out his window as he lay in bed pondering where his life was heading. Things were getting serious now. High school would be drawing to an end after this year which meant college. Everyone would be split apart as they went their separate ways.

It was an unwelcome thought to say the least. His thoughts were anything but steadfast right now. When he began thinking of Grimmjow, he felt he was losing sight of what they had together.

But why? Did Ginjo's insistence and vigor really have such an impact that it would make him question all that he had built with Grimmjow over the past year?

And why was he so interested in repaying a debt to his mother when she wasn't the kind of person to have wanted such a thing? His whole premise was faulty.

"Is he just playing that card to get me to lower my guard or something?" he asked himself.

It would make sense. The quickest way to get past Ichigo's defenses was to talk about his family. Especially his mother.

Biting his fingernail, Ichigo turned and noticed the time.

"Shit! I need to meet everyone!" he said, hopping from his bed and running to get a change of clothes.

For some reason, he felt the need to clean himself.

Renji's soccer match was tonight at six. That's why Grimmjow wasn't at the clinic. Ichigo had told him he was going to the game and suggested he go too but Grimmjow promptly denied his invitation.

It was hard having to deal with two overgrown babies all the time. Really hard.

"I don't see him anywhere!" Inoue puffed as she sat back down on the bleachers.

"The question here is, do we want to see him?" Senna asked, head rested on her hand as she leaned forward lethargically.

"There he is! He's standing in the doorway of the locker room!" Shuhei said enthusiastically.

Renji was standing in front of the coach and it looked like they were having a very intense conversation. He was only doing this because, as he had desired, he had been chosen to be the captain of the Varsity team. He spread the news almost minutes after he found out to every contact in his cell phone.

It was something he had aimed for since he started high school. At one point, it was simply to impress the ladies, but that faded away soon after he met Ichigo and his merry band of misfits.

Rukia was the first to congratulate him. She even threw him a party in celebration of this crowning achievement. He loved the attention it gave him. Growing up, he was never the important one. He lived in a foster home most of his early life.

But now he had his support. Looking over to bleachers, he saw them. His boyfriend, his best friend, his hater, his busty eye candy, and…

When he noticed Ichigo was not among them, he was thoroughly disappointed and shocked. After all the emphasis he had put on this match, no, his soccer career, not seeing Ichigo here was like a punch in the face.

"Where the hell is he?" he asked himself.

Automatically, he assumed it was Grimmjow's fault he wasn't presently at the game.

* * *

Ichigo had been on his way to Renji's match but he was currently faced with a small obstacle. He stood in place on the sidewalk as a tall, thin, black haired man blocked his path.

"I have somewhere to be. I don't have time to play games so step aside." He ordered.

"I'm certainly not here to block your path. My reasons for halting you are to the contrary actually. I came to intervene in your relationship with Ginjo. Or perhaps that was the wrong word…"

Ichigo's eyes went wide and the man had his full attention now.

"I understand he has some very strong feelings for you, and that's acceptable from a man in his position. If I'm correct, he's told you his story has he not?"

"That bunch of bullshit he spat to me as he forced himself on me? Yeah, I heard it."

"You may not believe it, but it is true. Finally, I offer you this advice: Don't turn your eyes away from reality, let alone Ginjo because in the moment you least wish him to, he will strike. In your case, you'll probably have no other choice but to be his forever without a glimpse of freedom…"

"Just what are you saying? Am I supposed to be afraid of Ginjo now? I thought he wanted me to love him? And who are you anyway?"

"I'm no one of importance to you at this moment. Let me tell you this: In this world clouded in darkness, you are Ginjo's light which is why I support his efforts to claim you. After all, all I want is for  _him_  to be happy."

"Whatever… Tell me your name. I'll remember it so I can find you once I've taken care of Ginjo."

The man smiled and turned to leave, but before he did, he spoke this last word, "Tsukishima."

Frozen in thought, Ichigo wondered what Ginjo had said and doing to those around him. After all, this man had to have been some form of an acquaintance with him to know he was amorously pursuing him.

In any case, one thing was for sure. Ginjo was going to visit their clinic again. And the next time he did, he wasn't going to be leaving too happy.

* * *

Shishigawara sat brewing in the back seat of Yukio's limousine. He and Riruka had forced him, literally bound and gagged him, into going to the soccer game Inoue had so kindly invited him to.

They joked and laughed about how he was going to be forced to be around her and Ichigo's other strange friends.

While all this was going on, Moe was trying his hardest to get his hands free. God help the two jackals if he were able to do just that.

Unfortunately for him, the limo stopped at the entrance to the field and both Riruka and Yukio escorted him to the ticket booth.

Although it took all the effort they could manage from keeping their captive from thrashing about and getting free, they made it to the sales rep but paused.

"Did she give you a ticket?" Riruka asked.

"Mph! MMMMM!" the boy responded.

Yukio grinned. He slipped his hand into Shishigawara's back pocket and pulled out his wallet.

Said boy turned wide eyed in shock. Not only was he being kidnapped, he was being robbed and violated at the same time.

"I'll take one ticket for this guy." Yukio said to the man in the booth.

"That'll be twelve dollars."

Shishigawara was unbelievably livid by this point. Yukio, the rich little bastard, was stealing money from him to pay for something he was forcing him to go to! The least he could have done was pay for it himself.

When he turned with the ticket, Riruka squealed as Shishigawara broke free from her and he threw himself at Yukio. The trio was now drawing the attention of almost everyone in their vicinity.

Then Renji's group noticed them. Inoue smiled when she saw Shishigawara while Senna rolled her eyes at Riruka.

Yukio and Riruka were just about to guide him over to them, but they were halted by security.

"Well this was unexpected." Yukio grinned.

"Do something." Riruka said.

Just then, Ichigo approached them with a puzzled look on his face.

"What are you three doing here? Don't you go to another school?"

"It's Ginjo's boyfriend…" Riruka commented, swiftly turning away from him with red cheeks.

"Really?" Yukio asked.

"No! Stop spreading that fucking fake rumor!"

Ichigo pulled out his ticket and was about to leave the three, but he was forced to stop when Yukio stepped in his way.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"No, but can you do us a favor? Take this fool with you and sit him next to that orange haired girl please."

Looking between the two, Ichigo scoffed, "Why should I do that?"

"Because we said so!" Riruka yelled.

"Look, I'm not gonna-"

"Sushigawara-kuuuun!" Inoue called as she made her way over to the group at the entrance.

"Inoue…"

"Hi, Kurosaki-kun!" she smiled.

"What's going on here?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh, well I invited Sushigawara-kun to attend the match. I hope that's okay."

"I don't really mind."

And there it was again. Going out of the way of logic and what he felt for Inoue. Although he knew it was a flaw of his, Ichigo was content with it and had no desire to change.

"Yay!"

Grabbing Shishigawara by the arm, she led him up to the group in the bleachers, followed by Ichigo.

Yukio called out enthusiastically with a wave, "We'll be back for you after the game!"

Squinting angrily, Shishigawara used every swear word he could utter directing them directly at Yukio and Riruka. Unfortunately, all that came out was incomprehensible mumbling behind the gag.

When he sat down, he successfully earned the attention of Rukia, Senna, Shuhei, and Chad who had seemed to have faded into the crowd after arriving late.

Inoue smiled and introduced him to them. He received a smile from Rukia, a raised eyebrow from Senna, and indifference from Shuhei. Chad didn't seem to react, but of course, he didn't need to. Shishigawara was intimidated by him even more than the scowling Ichigo.

What was with that look plastered on his face for in the first place? It wasn't like he had ever done him anything.

What not a single one them realized was that Ichigo was in his own mental turmoil. In fact, he wasn't even looking in Shishigawara's direction.

He was thinking; stuck in the whirlwind of his conscious mind.

And it was all thanks to Ginjo.

As the match seemed to take forever to begin, everyone in the crowd had begun chatting among themselves. This included the group who had come to see Renji.

While Rukia, Senna and Shuhei began conversing, Ichigo sat quieter than Chad in his irritated mental state of mind. Inoue, however, turned her attention to the still bound and gagged Shishigawara.

After a few moments of watching him, she decided to help him out a bit. Yukio and Riruka were mean for doing something like this. Scooting closer to him, she gently pulled the gag from his mouth and smiled at his expression.

"Why did you do that? I'd be better off with it on because I don't even want to be here with you weirdoes."

"Sushigawara-kun, you should try new things and meet new people. I can't say for sure, but you seem a little closed off to everyone and that's no good! Life will seem much brighter when you open your mind and heart."

Moe raised an eyebrow at the girl. She was weird…probably one of the weirder ones of this group.

Looking around, he couldn't tell if that was actually true. There was that orange-eyed girl he didn't care for. Then there was the guy with the violet hair and scars on his right eye and tattoo of a sixty-nine on the opposite side of his face. The next one was that really short, purple-eyed girl. Plus Ichigo and the big guy who hadn't really said a word.

When his eyes landed on Inoue again, he realized she probably fit in well with these people. Something about her annoyed him just as much as the others. She was innocent, friendly, and annoying.

But more than anything, she was beautiful beyond comparison. She easily drew the eyes of those around her. There were even a few guys eying her a few rows over. But she was clearly oblivious.

" _How can somebody be so innocent? Or maybe stupid…"_  he thought to himself.

Despite her naïvety, Moe couldn't help but want to keep jerks like the three guys  _still_  eying her away from her. This was strange for him. Never had he really known someone that he wanted to protect but Tsukishima.

The stadium lights embellished her form. Since he had met her, she had been nothing but a nuisance. But in this moment, she seemed like a goddess to him.

Suddenly, Inoue jumped in childish excitement, which caused him to jump as well.

"I can see Abarai-kun!" she said, alerting everyone else to his arrival on the field.

"It looks like the game is about to start." Shuhei added.

"Finally…" Senna said.

Ichigo looked at Renji and couldn't help but smile. His friends were his world, which was why he was here now at this game even though he was not in the mood.

He realized that he would have to tell someone about Ginjo, but it probably wouldn't be Renji.

After both teams took their positions on the field and the whistle blew, he realized just the person he would tell.

* * *

Ishida's laptop momentarily flickered, causing him to fret. Immediately saving his work, he looked out his window in the direction of the school where the stadium lights lit up the sky.

"Good luck, Abarai." He said, adjusting his glasses.

* * *

"Why go back for him anyway? He told me to swallow a cockroach!" Riruka exclaimed from across the car from her partner in crime.

"I promised him, that's why. Besides, he'd probably wind up in some bizarre situation where he has to fight for his life. You know he has issues dealing with people." Yukio commented without looking up from his PS Vita system.

"I sometimes think he deserves it…"

The window from the driver's section rolled down and the driver spoke, "Sir, it looks like the game may be over."

This drew green and magenta eyes.

Yukio jumped up through the sunroof looking around for Ichigo's group.

Riruka peered through the window that the driver had rolled down and let her eyes fly over the crowd.

"Ichigo…" she said.

She could tell something was bothering him when she first laid eyes on him. But she wasn't close enough to him to ask about what was going on. Then again, that could be the best way to get closer to him. She had to start somewhere.

"I see them!" Yukio shouted.

"Where!?"

"Hey, Shishigawara is alone with that busty girl."

Bolting up next to the blonde boy, Riruka spotted the pair and found herself shell-shocked. What was he doing with her? Of all of Ichigo's friends, he had fallen behind the group with  _her_?

* * *

With each step he took, Shishigawara grew more and more nervous. His heart was beating a mile a second now. Somehow, he and Inoue had got stuck behind a group of teenagers who were planning to get drunk. Apparently, they were Karakura students now celebrating a dominating victory thanks to the team's captain, Renji.

Although their abrupt intrusion seemed inconvenient, it provided him with the perfect opportunity to make his move. After all, he was too nervous just around her so with Ichigo and his other buddies around, he'd never be able to ask.

As they got closer to the ones waiting, the urge to shout the question grew stronger. Once they reached them, Shishigawara realized he'd never be able to do it. Exhaling deeply, he stopped dead in his tracks and turned to Inoue. Before he could speak, she smiled warmly at him, causing him to lose his nerve and turn away irritated by his own cowardice.

"Stupid stupid!" he muttered under his breath.

"Hey, do you want me to remove those ropes around your arms?" Inoue asked.

"No! Get lost woman!"

"I think you do."

"I said-"

"Here, let me-"

"What the heck are you doing!?"

Ignoring the question, Inoue walked around Shishigawara, pulled out her hair pin, and used it to snip the binds.

She bent over and picked up the ropes after they fell to the ground, put the pin in her mouth, then smiled.

"Inoue! We're going to find Renji! Coming?" Rukia asked from the rest of the group.

"Coming!"

Just as she turned to leave, Shishigawara called out to her.

"Hm?"

He mumbled something under his breath the girl didn't catch.

"Say it again."

"I SAID WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME!?"


	11. Reality and Rationality Lost

Like bullets, quick tempers fire from the chamber and the consequences are severe...

* * *

Two weeks after Renji's victory match. Tuesday evening.

"I don't know what I can do Giri-hyu-ko. Ichi-Ichigo won't firkin give me a chance over that delin-linquent." Ginjo said.

He slumped forward and rested his face on his hand looking down into his emptying glass. While sitting at the bar, he wondered why he had come to this dimly lit place to discuss an already saddening matter with such a stodgy person as the one currently cleaning glasses. He was the only other one here, since it was his private bar, therefore he had no choice in the matter.

Giriko, the tall bar keeper with an eye patch, kept his back to him trying to tune out his complaints. He was not a sight to see when he was inebriated and it was certainly futile to listen to his incessant babbling. This Ichigo could have been a mere figment of his imagination and nothing more.

"Did you hear me?"

"I did. I'm just not very interested in your personal affairs, Ginjo. Pardon me for wanting you to keep your private life private."

"Hey! Don't you sass me! I need somebody to talk to about all of this…"

"Perhaps Jackie, or even Riruka?"

"No and definitely no."

"Well then I don't know-"

"Fill 'er up!" Ginjo exclaimed, harshly putting his glass on the bar and sliding it towards the older man.

"I think you may have had enough for one evening."

"N-no! I haven't!"

"Ginjo, look. Drinking your problems away won't solve anything. If you want the boy so desperately, then take him. I don't understand what's going on in your mind right now. You normally don't have any trouble getting what you want. That's how you've kept Riruka here without hiring her, it's how you got Jackie to start working here, and it's also the reason I'm here serving you for such a ghastly pay rate."

After blinking a few times, and then blinking a few more, Ginjo sighed. It was true. He knew how to get people to do what he wanted them to, even without blackmail or forceful extremes. But Ichigo was one tough cookie. He was also smart and he seemed to be resourceful. It would take a lot to get him to want to marry him.

Then he hatched an idea; a malicious, spiteful idea.

Hadn't Ichigo let it slip that Grimmjow had a few anger issues? He did. It was back when they first met.

Smiling wickedly, he knew just what to do to get Ichigo to be with him.

When he picked up his cup to take a drink, he noticed it was empty apart from the melting ice.

"Giriko, you forgot to fill me up!"

"I did not."

"Che! I don't need to take this."

"That's where you're wrong. You got me to come and work here. I'm the one who decides what you take and what you don't when you're in my neck of the woods."

"Damnit. What was I thinking all those years ago…?"

Staring down at his empty glass, Ginjo decided he'd had enough to drink anyway. Now he needed to get some sleep and then get to arranging every detail and every minute of his plan.

Ichigo would be his by the end of the week. That was for sure.

* * *

"Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue called gleefully from the driveway.

Ichigo turned down his speakers and paused the song that was playing. He could have sworn he heard Inoue calling from outside. When he heard her call his name, he stood from his desk and walked over to the window to look out to her.

"Inoue, what are you doing?" he asked with a smile.

Holding up a basket of leftover bread, she grinned, "I thought I'd bring you some treats!"

The orange-head sighed and made his way downstairs to let the girl in.

Inoue greeted Yuzu and Karin when she saw them as she and Ichigo made their way from the front door up to his room.

"Inoue, you realize those are old don't you?" Ichigo asked when they took a seat on his bed.

"They're not! They're just what was left from today and I told my boss it would be wasteful to throw them away!"

"Yeah, leftovers."

"No, Kurosaki-kun!"

"Yes, Inoue."

"Well then," the girl started before stuffing a piece of the bread into her mouth, "You don't have to eat any! I'll bring some to Sado-kun instead."

Ichigo sighed and then took a piece of garlic bread from the basket. He wasn't about to argue with her any longer. Besides, arguing didn't fit them at all.

"So what brings you here? I know the bread must have been a last-minute thing." He asked.

"I thought we could spend a little while together. It's been so long since we spent time together like this."

"Oh. Well, okay."

" _I can't really tell why, but I feel like something bad is coming your way, Kurosaki-kun."_  She thought anxiously.

"You okay Inoue? You're spacing out."

"Oh! Yes! I was just thinking…"

"About?"

"Uhm… that manga I borrowed from you! I really enjoyed reading it! I'll have to keep going since the series is so long."

"It is but it's not dull in the least. It's the top-selling series in Japan's history."

"I never guessed I'd be so interested in a shounen manga about pirates." Inoue giggled.

"Yeah."

"Oh! I want to tell you me and Moe-kun are going to the movies this Friday. It's been two weeks since he asked me out but neither of us have had a free enough schedule to actually go out."

"That's good. I hope you have fun. And let him know if he hurts you in any way. He'll definitely have hell to pay."

"I don't think he will. He's too sweet."

"What?!  _Him_  'sweet'? Are you sure we're talking about the same person?"

"Mhmm! He texts me all the time and visits me at work too!"

"That's…really unexpected."

"Stop being a silly goose, Kurosaki-kun." Inoue smiled.

Though unusual, it was nice to see Inoue like this. Happy and not fretting over him. For as long as he could remember, she had held an unyielding love for him. Looking at her and the way she was gazing at him now, it seemed that may never change. But at least she had something to care about now besides the friends around her.

"Honsho is okay with you dating?"

"Hm? Why wouldn't she be?"

"…N-nevermind…"

"Tell me!"

"It's nothing…"

"Kurosaki-kun!"

Ichigo eyed Inoue. She was acting just like Neliel right now. Girls were weird sometimes…or maybe just nosy.

"So, have you made any trips to XCUTION lately? I heard they're working on this new game that has graphics out of this world…"

Unfortunately, Ichigo had unknowingly tuned her out when he heard that name. It had been a while since he last even thought about that place,  _or_  that man.

Ginjo hadn't even visited the clinic. It was weird. But it was also good.

Maybe this meant that he had given up on trying to get with him. That would surely make things go back to normal. And right now, that's exactly what he was getting a taste of.

Inoue visiting was rare, but normal. Seeing Grimmjow over the weekends was normal, and wanted. Horsing around at school with Renji because Shuehei didn't want to was normal. Being forced to go to the mall with Senna was normal. Spending late nights at Rukia's was normal. Studying with Ishida and sometimes stealing his notes was normal. Going for a morning run halfway across the city with Chad was normal. Soccer practice after school with Tatsuki was normal. Listening to Keigo and Mizuiro's game banter was normal.

Everything had somehow gone back to normal with Ginjo out of the picture. And normal was okay. It was more than okay really. It was great!

Life was considerably better without the awkwardness or occasional sexual advances Ginjo brought to the table.

"Kurosaki-kun? Did you hear me? I think you're the one spacing out now." Inoue spoke with raised eyebrows and a smile.

"Oh, uh, sorry. I kinda got distracted…"

"Happens to me all the time."

"Heh, I won't disagree there."

"Hey!"

* * *

Friday after school.

Ichigo was sprawled out on the couch in the living room. Grimmjow wouldn't be over to visit for a while and Yuzu and Karin were over at Ururu's place.

Television was pretty terrible until late, so right now there was nothing to do.

He was all alone at home since Ishiin was still gone. When was he gonna come back anyway?

What to do with the free time he had?

No homework, surprisingly. No one was free for the evening. There was nothing on television at the moment. And he wasn't really in the mood for video games.

Then it hit him. The perfect thing to do right now was to nap. That'd pass the time until four o'clock.

"I guess there's no point in moving from here." He said to himself.

Looking over to the door, he saw that it was still unlocked.

Perfect.

Pulling out his phone, he texted flipped through his contacts and found Grimmjow's number. He sent him a message telling him it would be okay for him to just come in when he arrived.

Then he rolled onto his stomach and turned his head away from the kitchen where the light was pouring in from.

Why the blinds were open in the first place was beyond him. Must have been Yuzu.

It hadn't taken him long to fall asleep. He realized that he had been craving a nap all day. The main thing he not notice was the car pulling into the driveway and the person stepping out of it. Sleep was too important right now; or perhaps too unavoidable.

* * *

_The Kurosaki clinic was dark and it was raining heavily outside. A storm like no other really. One of the ones that makes a person glad they're inside in a nice warm bed._

_Ichigo lay comfortably under his sheets and didn't even notice the pair of strong arms holding him in place until he tried to move._

_It had to have been Grimmjow. After being together for as long as they had, he had began leaving his window unlocked now to let him in, especially on rainy nights. Those held the most significance to their relationship since it was a night like this that they established that they were dating._

_One of the hands slid its way across his stomach then downwards into his boxer shorts. He welcomed it and even guided it to where it needed to be._

_It was never a question of his wanting for the larger man. From the moment he saw Grimmjow he had wanted him… Although at the time, he didn't want him to know it._

_The fingers roamed around as though they had never journeyed through the flamed forest before which was strange. Grimm always made a point that it all belonged to him and he had visited it many, many times before._

_Then he felt a grip on his member before Grimmjow began stroking him._

_What was weird was that Grimmjow never did something like this with clothes on. He was usually too eager for something like that._

_Suddenly, he felt a bulge against his backside and blushed._

_Without warning, his bottoms were pulled down and he could feel the appendage poking at his rear._

_When he tried to look back, his head was turned and held in place by the free hand keeping him from looking._

" _Grimm-"_

" _Shh."_

_Ichigo moaned when the man slid himself into his hole. The pleasure was too great and all his doubts and troubles seemed to fade away._

_The man slid further and further until he was back to stomach with the smaller boy below._

_Then he pulled himself out to the tip and slammed himself forward again. He did this multiple times without concern for the one he was pounding._

_Though painful, if this was what Grimmjow wanted, it would be what he would get._

" _Grimmjow…"_

_The man whispered something into his neck and kept going with his pace._

" _Grimmjow…" Ichigo moaned again._

_Again, the man whispered something into his neck._

" _Grimmjow…!"_

"…"

" _Grimmjo-"_

" _G…"_

" _Grimmjow!" he moaned audibly, grabbing his own member and stroking it._

" _G…jo"_

" _Grimm-"_

" _Ginjo."_

_Brown eyes went wide._

_Ichigo whipped his head around and found Ginjo grinning behind him._

_He tried to get away, but Ginjo grabbed his arm and whispered into his ear, "You're all mine now."_

* * *

Ichigo's eyes went wide and he shot up from his place on the couch. He looked around nervously but didn't see anyone else in the house with him.

He sighed a heavy breath of relief.

"Bad dream, Ichigo?"

* * *

Grimmjow sped down the highway in anticipation of a weekend with Ichigo.

For some reason, three of his teachers decided to give pop quizzes and another gave a test.

He had studied for the test with Ichigo but those quizzes kicked his ass.

However, school related matters were irrelevant to him right now. All that mattered was that the week was over and he could finally see his mate.

Luckily, there was no traffic this week so he would arrive just a little earlier than he was expecting to.

The one thing he was looking forward to was making love. It had been a long week and his hand just wasn't doing it for him.

He also needed to tell Ichigo about the new branch opening in Karakura in just a little while. He was glad things had fallen through the cracks and now all he needed to do was get the recommendation to be transferred.

Things were finally looking up.

"Kurosaki can finally pull whatever crawled up his ass and died out and fucking smile again." He said with a smirk.

"Ginjo, how the hell did you get in here?" Ichigo asked. The room was a little hazy since he had just come out of his slumbering state but Ginjo was clear as day.

"Your front door was open. I came to check up on you and your sisters."

Ichigo sighed, "I wasn't able to tell you this before, but since I'm the only one here, I'm telling you now. You're no longer welcome here. There's no need for you to keep hanging around all the time since you recovered weeks ago from little more than a street fight. So leave now."

Ginjo grinned and stood.

He walked past Ichigo, but when the boy stood to guide him out the door, he grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him to the floor.

Falling over on top of him, he looked up to the clock then back down to his captive.

"Ginjo! Get off!" Ichigo shouted, thrashing his legs about in trying to kick the man in either his stomach or his groin.

Unfortunately, Ginjo spread his legs with his own and held him in place.

"I said-"

"This is when I make you mine."

"Gin-"

Ginjo silenced Ichigo with his lips. He quickly grabbed the boy's neck and held it tightly to hold him steady as he used his other freed hand to pull down the zipper and open the boy's pants.

He also knew better than to attempt using his tongue in this embrace because it was sure to be bitten.

Freeing the boy's neck, he brought his large hands to his forearms and held him in place as he began thrusting himself against Ichigo.

Said boy tried harder than he ever had to free himself, but it was seemingly impossible. Ginjo wasn't just kissing him, he was using his own head to hold him in this position. But why?

Looking around the room, brown eyes landed on the clock on the wall and the light seemingly disappeared from them he was so horrified. It was after four o'clock.

" _This is your plan, Ginjo!? Sabatoge!? Is this how you're going to drive me and Grimmjow apart!?"_ he thought as his vision became blurred.

When the door opened, Ichigo could feel the man's smirk against his own lips while his own heart wrenched and felt as though it would come out from his throat.

Suddenly, the hands holding him left him and he was free. But this was not to his advantage. His release distracted him for just the right amount of time so it seemed as though he wasn't being pinned.

"What the fuck is this?" Grimmjow asked with a baffled expression as he made his way into the house.

Ichigo pushed Ginjo, who was surprisingly easy to budge now, off and sat up full of shock and dismay.

He could hear Grimmjow ask again, but this time more audibly. When it got to the point of a shout, he could barely hear anything as the room became muffled and things became hazy.

Ignoring Ichigo's completely frozen form, Grimmjow looked to Ginjo who was sitting on his posterior and smirking to no end.

"Did you not expect this, kid?"

"What did you just say to me?" the bluenette asked.

"I said, did you not expect this? Look at you and look at me. Who did you think Ichigo would end up with? A low life like-"

Grimmjow tackled Ginjo to the floor and grabbed him by his shirt.

"Shut your fucking mouth!"

"What are you gonna-"

Unwilling to hear anything more, Grimmjow sent his fist flying across Ginjo's face once to silence him. He turned to Ichigo who was motionless.

"He's frozen in guilt. Can you blame him?"

Blue eyes turned back to their target. Ginjo kept provoking him with his questions. It was as though he wanted to get his ass handed to him. He maintained his self control until Ginjo uttered his next sentence.

"Go back to Aizen where you belong, you retard."

A vein appeared on Grimmjow's forehead and he released Ginjo, who fell back onto his elbows.

The man wasn't surprised when Grimmjow sent both of his fists across his face repeatedly. But he wasn't expecting such vigorous blows from someone smaller than he was. This kid was packing some power.

"That's what the drug game does to ya!" he screamed at his attacker through the punches.

Ichigo was shaken from his frozen state when he heard Ginjo's shouts turn from ones of contempt to ones of pain.

"Grimm…stop…" he said in a near mute voice.

"Grimm…stop…" he said again.

When he saw the blood all over Ginjo's shirt, he panicked and shouted, "GRIMMJOW, STOP IT!"

Grimmjow sent his fist across Ginjo's face once more before turning to face Ichigo.

"Don't you fucking tell me what to do!" he shouted.

Ichigo got up and threw himself at Grimmjow, trying to pull him away from the beaten man beneath him.

"I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!"

"Let me go, Kurosa-"

Ichigo angrily grabbed the sides of Grimmjow's face from behind with both hands and pulled as hard as he could, but to no avail. Grimmjow was intent on continuing his punishment.

They both flew backwards, however, when Ginjo pushed Grimmjow off of him and sat up.

Grimmjow made to jump at him, but Ichigo held him in place with his arms wrapped around his neck and feet braced on the floor on either side of him. It took everything he had to keep the man in place.

"This was nice." Ginjo said, wiping his nose of blood and examining his hand.

"Bastard!" Grimmjow yelled.

"Listen to me, Grimmjow! Stop what you're doing! It's not worth it!"

Said man turned angrily to the one holding him.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you!?" he exclaimed.

"What?"

Both boy's turned to Ginjo when he started laughing hysterically. Blue and brown eyes followed him as he stood and walked past them and to the door.

Before he left though, he turned around, pointed his finger and spoke, "You're already mine, Ichigo! It's now set in stone!"

The orange haired boy sat in place for a moment. Then he realized he was still holding Grimmjow tightly…too tightly.

"Let me go, Kurosaki."

"Grimm…"

"Just let me go."

Ichigo hesitated and shook in fear. He wondered if Grimmjow would leave if he did. Nonetheless, he did as he was told.

"Grimm, let me explain-"

"Explain what? Huh? That you've been fucking that prick behind my back? Were you trying to play me for a fool?"

"No! Grimmjow! It's not like that!"

"Then what the hell did I just see!?"

"For fucks sake, Grimmjow! Ginjo forced himself on me! You shouldn't have exploded like that!"

"Why should I believe that?"

Ichigo leaned forward and grabbed the man's face with both hands, "Because I love you, Grimm."

"And him saying you're already his? What the fuck is that about?"

"I…I don't know what that means. But doesn't that choice of words strike you as bizarre? If I was cheating on you, he wouldn't have said that."

"Kurosaki…"

"Grimm, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"You need to go home… Just go home…"

"Wh-"

"Please. I'll call you tomorrow. I just need some time alone to figure this mess out."

Without complaint yet full of uncertainty, Grimmjow rose off the floor and slowly made his way outside. He stopped and looked back at Ichigo, who averted his eyes when he caught him looking, then continued to his car.

" _You really did it this time, fucktard!"_  He thought, biting his lower lip violently.

Ichigo stood from the floor and walked over to the door then shut it. Leaning heavily against it, he bit his thumbnail.

"What did you mean by what you said, Ginjo…?" Ichigo asked himself.

It would be a restless night for him. He had to try to figure out why Ginjo laughed the way he did. In this situation, his reaction was much less than expected. Wasn't his goal to break them up by setting him up in front of Grimmjow? If anything, he had accomplished nothing more than getting a broken nose.

Nothing was making sense anymore.


	12. Ultimatum

Everyday people make choices. Some are relatively unimportant, but some are life-changing.

* * *

Saturday morning following Grimmjow's assault on Ginjo.

Grimmjow groaned as he lie stomach down in bed in his cold room with the comforter covering up to his nose. His eyes were open, as he stared blankly at his computer screen.

That was where he and Ichigo had first kissed. Back at a time when things were so much simpler. Before Aizen decided to track him down and before this new guy who seemed obsessed with the Kurosakis.

If only things could go back to the way they were…

Unfortunately, Kurosaki had sent him home yesterday. They hadn't even had the chance to speak to one another about anything really.

All of this was because of that Ginjo character. That man who for some strange reason Kurosaki had been so intent on protecting.

Why was that? Did he have some kind of feelings for him?

"… _Or did I just cross the line this time…?"_  he thought to himself.

Closing his eyes tightly, he wondered why that guy just sat there and took the beating. That was the weirdest part of it all. It was like he wasn't even trying to stop him from bashing his face in. And this guy was bigger than him at that!

"He could've very easily stopped me if he wanted to. Or maybe he's a bigger pussy than Kurosaki."

Hm… Kurosaki was a pussy. That much was true. Maybe that's why he had his meltdown. Maybe seeing so much bloodshed right in front of him was too much for him to handle.

But that didn't seem to stop him when Inoue was in danger. Going to save her was practically a death trap but he threw himself into it to bring her home.

He couldn't begin to imagine what would've happened if Kurosaki's sisters were home…

Speaking of sisters, Grimmjow flipped the sheets back and made to go and see Neliel. She was sure to be making breakfast right now.

After hopping out of bed, he went over to air conditioner and turned it off. It was unbearably freezing when not nestled underneath the covers.

In the now silent room, he picked up a pair of sweats off the floor and stepped into them then a t-shirt that was hanging on the back of the chair at his computer desk.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

He heard Neliel call out that she would answer it and her hurried footsteps through the house.

Curious as to who it was, and hoping it was Kurosaki, Grimmjow exited his room and made his way to the front door.

Neliel turned around and frowned when she saw him approaching.

"Grimm…WHAT DID YOU DO!?" she exclaimed, pointing her spatula at him in an accusing manner.

"What are you talking about?" he asked then froze when the girl opened the door all the way.

Two police officers stood at the door. One with a notepad in hand and the other holding his belt in case things got out of hand.

"Are you Grimmjow Jaegerjaques?" the one with the pad asked.

"Who wants to know?" Grimmjow responded.

"We have a warrant for your arrest. We received a testimony last night that said you physically assaulted a Ginjo Kugo, CEO of XCUTION gaming Industries."

"Grimm…?" Neliel spoke in a nervous voice.

"Yeah, what if I am?" the bluenette asked.

"Cuff him."

"Che!"

Neliel's eyes watered when she saw Grimmjow turned around and placed in handcuffs.

She grabbed his arm as he was led out of the house.

"Miss, you'll have to release him or we'll be forced to detain you."

"Grimmjow-"

"Let me go, Neliel." Said man responded without emotion.

"Grimm…"

Grimmjow pulled himself away from her and was led to the police car in the driveway.

Neliel dropped her spatula and felt tears sliding uncontrollably down her cheeks.

"What should I do?" she asked herself.

"Get in the house and don't worry about this. Oh, and don't you dare tell Kurosaki!"

The girl stood in place, shaken and anxious.

After the car pulled off with Grimmjow inside, she panicked.

"I-Ichigo! I have to tell him!"

* * *

"Onii-chaaan, don't reduce yourself to eating cereal while I'm making pancakes for breakfast!" Yuzu said walking hurriedly about the kitchen as she prepared waffles and eggs.

"Sorry, Yuzu. I've got things to take care of today. I have to get out of here."

Karin, who was comfortably seated on the couch, noticed someone approaching their clinic from the driveway.

"Um, Onii-chan, there's a girl…with green hair coming to our front door."

"Neliel…?" Ichigo asked, dropping his spoon and then standing abruptly from the table. When he heard her knocking, he quickly walked over to the door and opened it.

The girl in front of him was in a state he was not used to seeing her in.

It was indeed Neliel, as he had guessed. She had tears streaming down her cheeks and her eyes had a slightly red tint around them.

"Nel-"

"Ichigo!" she cried, throwing herself onto the taller boy and sobbing hysterically.

"Neliel, what's wrong?"

"It's Grimmjow! He's…he's…"

Turning around, Ichigo remembered that his little sisters were still in range and could hear them.

Looking over the girl's shoulder, he noticed that she had driven Grimmjow's car here. Which was strange. Grimmjow didn't let anyone drive his car. He wouldn't even let anyone else hold the keys.

"Let's talk about this in the car." He said.

As he walked beside Neliel, Ichigo remembered the time he and Grimmjow had searched desperately for his keys that one rainy night. He would always remember that night because it was the first time he had ever seen Grimmjow beaten.

Upon reaching it, he put his hand gently on the passenger door handle before opening it and getting inside.

Once the doors were closed, Neliel turned to Ichigo and began speaking again.

"Grimmjow's been taken into custody! He must've done something stupid that got him into trouble, but he wouldn't say anything! He only told me not to tell you…" she managed.

Ichigo sat in the passenger's seat full of shock.

"L-let's go and see him. I'm sure he's upset and probably sca-"

"Start the car and drive Neliel."

"Okay…"

" _I think I know why Grimmjow got arrested. I guess I have two people to visit this morning…"_  he thought to himself.

Hesitantly, Neliel started the car and headed to the police station.

* * *

Grimmjow sat angrily in his holding cell and stared the watch guard down.

He was weak. It was easy to see.

What was the law enforcement doing these days hiring such woosies. They could have been beaten by even Kurosaki. Or heck, his four-eyed know it all friend.

When the guard looked up from his book, he almost jumped when he noticed the cerulean eyes gaping at him.

The creepiest part was, not once did the prisoner blink.

Feeling anything but at ease, the guard turned his attention back to his book. At least he was behind cell bars.

He had almost forgotten Grimmjow until he started laughing hysterically and then started going on about how weak and easily intimidated the guards and other cops these days were.

"Keep it down sir! Or I'll have to-"

"Have to what? What can you do to me?" Grimmjow asked challengingly.

"Grimmjow!" Neliel shouted as she ran into the room and past the guard desk.

Ichigo followed suit.

Grimmjow's eyes went wide when he saw Ichigo with Neliel.

"Neliel! I told you not to get Kurosaki involved in this!"

"Hey, I panicked! I didn't know who else to get!"

"How'd you get here anyway?"

"N-nevermind how!"

"You drove my fucking car didn't you!?" the bluenette exclaimed, standing abruptly and grabbing the bars irritatedly.

"Grimmjow, don't yell at her." Ichigo said calmly, walking up to the cell and stopping in front of the livid man.

"Kurosaki, you shouldn't be here…"

"Why not? If the warden let me in, then I have every right to be here."

"Don't get smart with me." Grimmjow retorted.

"Grimmjow! What did you do!?" Neliel exclaimed.

Blue orbs moved between the three people in the room. The only one he wanted around, even though he shouldn't have been there in the first place, was Ichigo.

"Can we get a little privacy, please?" he asked.

The guard stood from his chair and walked over to Neliel. Although she argued him down and nearly smacked him senseless, he escorted her out of the room then closed the door behind him.

When they were alone, Grimmjow reached his hands out of the cell and grabbed Ichigo by the shirt then pulled him close.

"Kurosaki, go home. I can get out of this without your help."

"I came all this way to try and help you and this is how you repay me?" Ichigo asked.

"I don't want you to be involved in these kinds of matters. Is that so wrong?"

"Grimmjow, I think we both know I'm not going to abandon you in here. And we can also take a guess as to who had you arrested."

"That prick from yesterday… I shoulda broke his fucking voice box too…" Grimmjow growled.

After removing Grimmjow's tight grip on his shirt, Ichigo backed a few steps away and spoke, "I'm going to go see him. If possible, I'll try to get you out of this. But this is just another punishment for that temper of yours."

"Don't get involved in this."

"I'm a grown man, Grimmjow. I'll do whatever the hell I please. Just accept help when someone offers it to you."

Before Grimmjow could say anything more, Ichigo put his finger over his lips and assured him he would take care of everything.

"Kurosaki, please…" Grimmjow pleaded before Ichigo left him alone in the room.

It pained him to see Grimmjow like this. Desperate, pleading and detained like he was a zoo animal.

Whatever it took, he vowed to get Grimmjow out of this. After all, it was his fault for not being able to stop Ginjo yesterday and it was also his fault that Grimmjow saw what he did. Though his temper was something completely out of his control, Ichigo knew it was only a result of the undesirable situation he was unable to handle on his own.

There was only one place left to go now. And Ichigo had the feeling he'd be better off going alone. He snuck past Neliel and the guard and exited the police station headed further downtown.

* * *

Jackie sat alone at her desk in the large, silent lobby of XCUTION Industries.

She flipped through the pages of her magazine and paused when she saw an outfit that caught her attention. It was a summer outfit though, and it would be winter in little time at all.

"Maybe it'll be on sale…" she spoke quietly.

Thinking for a moment, she wondered what Ginjo would do for his winter vacation this year. He usually closed down the office and went on an extravagant trip. This year, he promised that wherever he went, he would have a guest along with him.

Whatever that meant.

All she knew was that this year she was going to get out of Japan for once.

Her eyes moved from her magazine to the main entrance when she heard the doors open and Ichigo entering quickly with a not so pleased expression gracing his handsome little face.

"Can I help you, Mr. Kurosaki?" she asked.

"Ginjo. I need to speak to Ginjo." Ichigo answered hurriedly.

"Alright, let me get a hold of him for you. One moment please."

She picked up the phone and dialed Ginjo's office number. It would take a few moments if the desperate seeming boy in front of her was willing to wait.

For some reason, Ichigo was able to come into this place and dictate his desires, and for some reason, Ginjo bent to his will.

She was really curious to know what was actually going on between them.

"Hello?" Ginjo answered.

"Hi, Ginjo. I have Ichigo Kurosaki here and-"

"Send him in please."

Without another word, Ginjo hung up the phone leaving Jackie utterly confused.

Nonetheless, she had been given her orders.

She picked up the phone and paged Riruka to the front desk.

She'd be more than glad to see Ichigo up to the office.

* * *

"I really wonder what  _you're_  doing here so early in the morning. On a Saturday at that." Riruka said, eying Ichigo down as they made their way into the elevator.

Ignoring her suspicions, Ichigo stepped in and stood against the wall, deep in thought.

Riruka watched him from the corner of her eyes. She could tell he was upset. For some reason she couldn't explain, that upset her as well.

The small space remained quiet for the few moments as they made their way to the fourth floor.

It was uncomfortable and slightly awkward. Well, for Riruka that was.

When the elevator stopped, the girl grabbed her stomach from the nauseating feeling the stop most elevators caused.

She tried to exit, but Ichigo put a firm arm out in front of her.

Looking questionably into his eyes, she felt a tinge of fear at the darker shade of brown and lack of light due to the orange bangs covering a good bit of them.

He didn't utter a word. All he did was shook his head.

Understanding his message, Riruka stood in place and watched Ichigo exit the elevator. He walked down the hallway but before he reached Ginjo's office, the elevator doors closed and he was gone from her sight.

"Ichigo…" she mouthed.

* * *

Jackie turned and grinned when she saw Riruka entering the lobby again.

"Well well, where's our impatient guest? He and Ginjo spending the day together?" she joked.

"Hmmmmm! That idiot! Why is he SO MEAN!? The whole way he was quiet! Never said a single word to me! What's worse is that he doesn't have any rep around here but Ginjo gives him everything he wants! Ugh! Jackie!"

"What is it?"

"Hmph! I'm taking the day off! I can't be here right now!" Riruka said angrily, walking to the front door and exiting heatedly.

"Y-you don't work here, Riruka!" Jackie reminded before the doors closed.

"Whatever!" she heard the girl shout.

* * *

"Ichigo, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Ginjo asked from his seat at his office desk.

He leaned forward and rested his head on his hand with a smile.

Though the lights were off and the room was barely lit by the lights from the blinds, it was easy to see the result of what happened yesterday.

Brown eyes moved about the man's face without emotion.

His cheeks were a darkened shade of red. His eyes were a dark shade of purple. Most notably, his nose had a patch over it as it was nearly broken.

Ginjo had gotten exactly what he was asking for. Grimmjow's handiwork was not to be taken lightly on any occasion.

"What did you do?" Ichigo asked crossly, ignoring the smile on the man's lips.

"What do you mean, kid? I do a lot of things all day long. Be more specific." Ginjo grinned showing his front rows of pearly whites.

"Grimmjow is in a holding cell downtown and I know it must have been you. Fess up, Ginjo."

"Oh, that. Yeah. I had him arrested." Noting the boy's expression, Ginjo continued, "Don't look so stunned. Did you expect anything else? I mean, you did just accuse me and I admitted to it."

Ichigo shook himself of his emotions to ask, "Are you going to press charges on him?"

"Now that, Ichigo, depends on your choice here today."

Squinting in confusion, Ichigo watched as Ginjo rose from his seat and strolled over to his window.

He stuck his fingers between the blinds and peered out for a moment.

"What does that mean, Ginjo?"

Turning and looking the boy over with big innocent eyes, Ginjo smiled and walked from the window over to him and placed his arm on his shoulder.

"Don't touch me."

"That attitude of yours is about to change. You see, I hold the key to your boyfriend's future. And that key is you."

"That…doesn't make any sense."

"If you want to hear it right out, I guess I'll tell you. But you won't like it…"

"Stop screwing around Ginjo!"

Ginjo smirked, and then took Ichigo's chin into his hand, "Break up with that street thug, and I won't press charges on him. Simple, right?"

Ichigo's eyes went wide in disbelief.

"Th-that's-"

"On the other hand, if you stay with him, it won't be a very satisfying relationship, now will it? I mean, how much can you do together if he's in jail? Think about it."

Ichigo wrenched himself free of Ginjo's grasp, "You're blackmailing me! That's not fair!" Ichigo exclaimed, shaking his head.

"I tried doing things the right way with you, but you just wouldn't play with me. No pun intended."

"So you set up everything so Grimm would attack you and you could coerce me into-"

"That's right."

"But how could you have known when-"

"How did I know when your boyfriend would be arriving at your house? I've got eyes where I need them, Ichigo. I've been keeping tabs on you for the past two weeks. All the while hoping you'd give me a visit. It's really been lonely you know…"

"Don't mess with me…" Ichigo stated, not knowing what to say to this situation.

"Now there's nothing you can do but abide by my orders. Because I know you'd do anything to make sure that ruffian has a decent future…well, decent for him but mediocre at best really." Ginjo sneered.

"Ginjo-"

"Oh, but you haven't heard the best part yet." Ginjo turned away in content before speaking, "After breaking up with him, you'll be getting engaged to me. That's to come on a later date of course. For now, you'll just be with me. Mine and mine only. I guess you don't have much of a choice now do you…? If you don't want me to press charges that is."

Ichigo backed away and nearly fell over his own foot. He could feel himself heating up all over in frustration.

He was so angry right now he could finish the job he wouldn't let Grimmjow do.

"I'm no fool by the way. To make sure you don't just leave me after all these bruises have healed, there's something else you have to do for me…"

"Who said I was going along with your little plan, Ginjo?" Ichigo asked defiantly.

"You don't need to  _say_ you'll go along with it. I can already read it on your face that you will. Because you want the best for  _him_  right? If you don't, he'll end up in jail, for quite a while thanks to my legal division, and it'll be all your fault."

"…"

"Back to that last part of our little deal… I want you to swear it on your mother's grave that you won't leave me once the bruises have healed. I say that because I know you'd never betray a promise of this magnitude not to be a horrible person. If you agree to all of my conditions, your friend will have his freedom and return to his mundane life at that pedestrian job of his."

Ichigo stood in place, unable to speak. And for once, unable to think.

The world was shaking beneath his feet; his own private earthquake registering at cataclysmic levels thanks to Ginjo.

It was either let Grimmjow sink or save him in the most hurtful and abandoning of ways. This manipulation was genius in the sense that there was practically no saying no to the conditions. It left him feeling vulnerable and powerless.

Glancing up at the man approaching, Ichigo bawled his hands into fists and felt his cheeks heating up. His eyes were near watering but he couldn't tell.

"These are the components to this little contract. So, do we have a deal?" Ginjo asked, grabbing the boy's hand, unclenching it, and resting his cheek on the palm of it.


	13. Dissonance

Are promises made to be perpetual or ephemeral?

*Dissonance- a. lack of agreement; inconsistency between the beliefs one holds or between one's actions and one's beliefs

b. a mingling of discordant sounds; a clashing or unresolved musical interval or chord

* * *

Saturday evening.

A quiet walk in the autumn air as the many colorful leaves danced about carelessly in the wind.

That was what Ichigo wanted. He needed time to think, a lot of it to be exact. And after hours of being away from Grimmjow in his holding cell and thankful that his first talk with Ginjo was done, thinking cohesively was the last thing he accomplished.

On a brighter note, the leaves scattered about the ground in the city reminded him of Senna. It was about this time of year when he met and saved her social reputation.

She always said that fall was her favorite season and she often played in the leaves just for the heck of it. Childish yes, but it was Senna. There was no shame in her game. Literally.

He wondered if she would be able to help him out in this situation. Of course, she was often childish and impractical, but there were times when she showed a much more refined, sensitive side. This was especially true when she wasn't in the company of Renji.

Seeing her right now may not have been the best idea though. For some reason, Ichigo felt that this was a matter that he had to face alone. There was no need to suck everyone into his messes. Although, they had practically sniffed him out when he had gone after Inoue.

Urahara had told him about how they almost got into Los Noches. It apparently took a lot to detain everyone.

This time, he would be much more careful. This was his problem, not theirs.

It was between him, Ginjo, and Grimmjow.

"Grimmjow…" he whispered as he continued walking down the sidewalk.

With his eyes glued to the cracks that crossed his path, he was inattentive to his surroundings.

He looked up and chanced a glance on two high school guys walking side by side. They were walking too close for comfort he noticed.

"Strange…" he commented.

After slowing his walking pace, he noticed how unwelcoming and menacing one of them appeared, then how nice the other seemed. In a way, they reminded him of how he and Grimmjow were.

Although he wasn't the nicest, compared to Grimmjow, most people saw Ichigo as the more approachable one of the two.

When they came into earshot, he heard the shorter one shyly asking if the other one would want to spend the night.

He stopped dead in his tracks once they passed him. There was a point in his life when he asked Grimmjow to stay over. Actually, there were so many times that Grimmjow had begun inviting himself over most often.

It was welcome of course, but he'd never let him know that.

Brown eyes followed the couple until they rounded a corner.

Ichigo continued on his way walking through the city until he reached the park that Grimmjow had texted him to meet him at. It had been when they weren't on speaking terms and he assumed Grimmjow wanted to break up with him.

There was no describing how happy he was when they got back together. Well, more precisely, when they started talking again.

He had walked quite a distance from downtown and even considered going back to the police station, but decided against it. He would see Grimmjow soon enough, that was certain.

For now, he decided to go back to the clinic.

Being in such a familiar, loving place was all he needed to hold him from his mental anguish.

"Grimmjow…" he spoke softly as the wind caught a pile of leaves and sent them past the teen.

With little left to consider in this heavy situation, Ichigo turned and headed back downtown. The time for action was now.

* * *

Neliel waited anxiously on the couch in her home.

It was a little after six o'clock now. Their father would be home in just a little while.

Since Ichigo had abandoned her at the police station, although she was the one with Grimmjow's car, she had no choice but to turn to the last person Grimmjow would want help from.

If anything, at least he could be bailed out.

When she saw the head lights through the open blinds, she felt her heart beating uncontrollable through her t-shirt.

She always seemed to put herself in weird and uncomfortable positions for Grimmjow. Especially with their father. But he was her brother, whether she was adopted or not.

She didn't waste any time getting up and unlocking the door.

"Neliel, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be out with that Senna friend of yours. Are you feeling okay?" Mr. Jaegerjaques asked as he entered the house.

"D-daddy! Grimmjow is… he's in jail!"

The man's blue eyes lit up in surprise.

"Come again?"

"I don't know what happened, but you have to bail him out! Please!"

"Neliel-"

"No! No excuses! Get over to the police station and pay the bondage fee! He's your son! Stop acting like you hate him and help him out for once!"

"…Neliel, let me… let me get some things together first, before you make me jump the gun."

The girl's light silver brown eyes lit up in joyous astonishment.

"Don't take too long! And I'm going too!" she called as she was left alone in the room.

Looking down, she blushed after realizing that her shorts were completely covered by her t-shirt, making it seem as though she wasn't wearing them in the first place.

She closed the door and took her seat on the couch again, waiting for her father to return so they could go and set Grimmjow free from his incarceration.

* * *

Karin and Yuzu watched as Ichigo entered the house and didn't utter a word of greeting.

He took off his shoes at the door and sat in place as if anticipating something for about fifteen minutes then got up and was now walking solemnly by them.

That was so unlike him.

"Onii-chan?" Yuzu called from the kitchen.

Karin turned and put her arm over the back of the couch to watch Ichigo walk by. She knew he was going through something, and she had some idea of what. She was much more in tune with things unlike her often times oblivious little sister. No offense.

But something was definitely amiss. It was as if he didn't even register that there were other people in the house. And he seemed depressed… very depressed…

"Is that my son I heard!?" Ishiin shouted as he ran from his office to the stairwell and peered down at his son.

"He didn't say a word dad…" Karin said.

"Ichigo! I've returned from my trip! Now let's have a father son chat so I can tell you all about it!" the large man shouted happily with open arms when said boy made his way past him in the hallway.

"Not now dad. I need to be alone…"

"What?"

"I'm not feeling so good right now…so I'll be skipping dinner tonight. Tell Yuzu for me please."

"Got a stomach ache? A good scuffle with your old man'll make you feel all better!"

The boy didn't offer any response to that. Ishiin blinked a few times and watched as Ichigo entered his room and closed the door behind him.

Free of all distractions, Ichigo turned off his room light before walking over to his bead and throwing himself onto it. He turned his head to his open window and gazed at the evening sky.

This reminded him of Grimmjow for some reason. Perhaps he should have gone back to see him after all. It was, however, too late to be fretting over that right now. Grimmjow was a big boy. He could handle himself.

There was now an indescribable feeling boiling in the pit of his stomach. What had he done?

Realizing that moping about and wallowing in his pit of woe was no way to feel better, Ichigo sat up and sighed.

With nothing else to do and nowhere else to go for the day, he decided to take a bath.

It had been a taxing day indeed and all he needed now was to relax.

He got one last glance out his window at the setting sun. One of the most beautiful sights this world has to offer and here he was doing everything but enjoying it.

Getting off of his bed, he grabbed more relaxed clothing and headed to the bathroom in hopes of feeling better.

* * *

"What should we do?" Karin asked.

"You tell me! You're the older one!" Yuzu whispered loudly.

She was leaning against the couch and facing the kitchen where she was cooking beef stew and rice with a cake in the oven.

Karin sat on the couch and began twiddling her thumbs, thinking seriously about her older brother.

"What would have him so upset in the first place?" she asked.

Yuzu brought her hand to her chin in thought for a moment, "Hmm, I don't know… Maybe he has a stomach ache!"

Just then, the two heard the sounding of the doorbell.

"Who could that be?" Karin asked before getting off the couch and walking over to the door.

* * *

Ichigo had submerged beneath the water a few seconds before hearing the doorbell ringing.

He noticed as it danced in his vision how long the sides of his hair had grown. He would definitely need to get it trimmed soon.

Above him, he could not see. That was due to the bubbles that coated the surface of the water.

A nice bubble bath was the best way to relieve stress after all.

He quickly emerged but left his mouth beneath the surface when he felt the need to release his oxygen intake.

As childish as it seemed, he blew bubbles as he exhaled.

After actually bathing and sitting for another few minutes, he decided to get out of the bath tub and began drying himself off.

"I guess that helped a bit." He commented before stepping into his underwear and then his dark red sweat pants.

Upon opening the door, he poked his head out and glanced around the hallway in case his father was hiding somewhere ready to attack. When he saw that the coast was clear, he quickly exited the bathroom and successfully made it to his room.

The person sitting on his bed surprised yet didn't surprise him.

"Yo, Kurosaki." Grimmjow greeted nonchalantly.

"G-Grimmjow… what are you doing here?" he asked, half expecting his visit.

"What do you mean? You're my little play thing remember? And we didn't get to play at all yesterday…"

"…What happened at the police station?"

"Oh, the guard just let me go! It was weird but I guess he was too afraid of me to have me around." The bluenette grinned, completely full of himself.

Ichigo turned his eyes to look out the window where the sky was darkening, needing desperately to avoid looking at the man sitting naïvely on his bed.

"Grimm, you really shouldn't be here…"

"Huh? What crawled up your ass and died? Is that any way to greet me? You know, it  _sounds_  like you don't want me around…"

"Well, I was hoping I wouldn't see you for a while actually…"

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow, "Why's that?" he asked.

"Because now I have to tell you something… Something I don't really know how to-"

"Wait, before you do, I want to apologize for what I did to that guy yesterday… I know you were pretty upset about it and I guess I went too far. So I'm…sorry…" Grimmjow barely managed to spout that last word.

An apology was unexpected from him of all people. But there was something that just couldn't go unsaid on this evening, no matter what the cost.

Dropping his dirty clothes in the basket inside his closet, Ichigo turned and sighed uneasily. He clenched then unclenched his sweating hands and could feel his heart beating frenziedly, but he began anyway, "Grimmjow, I can't begin to tell you how much pain I've gone through thinking about all that's happened. The worst of it being last night… And it's great that you're apologizing. It is… And I honestly thought things were going smoothly but maybe I was wrong."

"Where the hell are you going with this?"

"If you'd let me finish I'd tell you… As I was saying, I thought things were going smoothly between us, you know, the long distance and all. And I didn't end things between us because they were actually good. But that temper of yours, Grimmjow, it's…it's too much for me…"

"Kurosaki… I just told you I'm sorry about what I did. What more can I do? You want me to kiss the bastard's fucking feet?!"

Ichigo turned his eyes away from the bluenette who seemed ready to pounce on him from the bed in a moment's notice.

"Apologizing won't be enough this time, Grimm. What you did to Ginjo was too much. You went too far… Now I see that things have spun too far out of control for me and I can't deal with you right now."

"Kurosaki-"

"And so, I think it'd be best if we-"

"Kurosaki!" Grimmjow shouted, jumping off the bed and gripping the shorter boy's arms with more force than necessary, "Don't you say it! Any problems we have we can solve them! I can change! I fucking apologized didn't I?! That's a start!"

Grimmjow paused and calmed himself down before continuing, "Kurosaki… I love you… So don't leave me. You can't leave. Not you. You're the only person in my life who I always expected to be here, so please…stay. Please."

Ichigo glanced quickly into the blue orbs he had grown so familiar with. They were full of passion as always, but now there were a few not so familiar feelings there as well. Fear and anxiety were just a two of the many raw emotions he could make out.

This side of Grimmjow was one he barely ever got a glimpse of. He was hurting. That was easy to see. And he was pleading. Pleading.

That wasn't the worst of it though. The thing that tore at his heart, the thing that was eating away at him was the promise that he had made to him when they first met, in the school garden, in the hot springs and so many other places. That promise being to never abandon the man desperately clinging on to him at this very moment begging him not to do just that.

He couldn't keep eye contact, so he looked away before carrying on with his painful decision, "No. I can't…"

"Kurosaki-"

"Grimm, I-I think it'd be best for both of us if we…if we break up."


	14. Totally Spies and a Sleepless Night

Sometimes, you have eyes in places you cannot be without even knowing it. They'll gather information you might have missed.

* * *

Sunday afternoon.

Neliel, sitting nestled in the living room of the mansion she had called home for the past few years, ignored the television even as it played her favorite show. Even though things had gone as she had hoped yesterday, for some reason things seemed to have taken a nasty turn.

She figured this because when Grimmjow had returned home last night, he did not seem to want to be bothered in the slightest. Neliel had watched him as he entered the house and didn't say a single word even after she had happily greeted him and offered to make him a warm dinner.

It became apparent that he was upset the moment he got into his bedroom and slammed his door.

At first, it seemed okay. He was quiet despite nearly shaking the entire first floor with the loud slam. Then things escalated. He began screaming in anger and then it sounded like he had started throwing things around in his room.

Today was a completely different story.

He was quiet. Completely and utterly. And he stayed locked in his room.

When their father went to try and get him out of his confinement, he got absolutely no response. Neliel had even dared to say she was going to drive his car again.

This led nowhere, however, because he had his keys now.

Nice try anyway.

All day she moped about the house, wondering what was wrong with her brother. She then remembered the math homework she had neglected earlier this weekend and decided to do it.

But she was smart. She sat posted outside Grimmjow's bedroom door and worked the problems, hoping he would eventually say something or come out for food, water, or even to use the bathroom.

When her father emerged again from his office and raised an eyebrow, she grinned and told him she was just doing homework. He didn't pay her much mind though. His stomach was telling him it was time to eat and to ignore all other distractions. Then he wondered if Grimmjow had eaten anything.

All he knew for sure was that something needed to be done about his recent reckless and self-destructive behavior. Things were going so well in the beginning. He was working and making his own money. It was simple and clean. But then this mess came up. He had ended up in jail for assaulting someone! At least the man dropped all charges looking to be pressed against Grimmjow.

God had certainly sent them a miracle.

He had thanked him earnestly last night when Grimmjow returned home.

Whatever the cause, it was fortunate for them. Even with all of his money, he wasn't sure he would be able to save his son. A CEO of an upcoming company was sure to have leeway over a student with a mean mug.

The man sat down in the kitchen wondering what the best course of action would be the next time the boy got into trouble.

* * *

Neliel sat in place, legs up to her chest and arms wrapped around them. It had been hours since her father had emerged from his office. After he returned to it, things became quiet again.

She was about to get up until she heard Grimmjow moving around in his room.

Then he suddenly began talking.

His voice was low but she could make out his words. He was definitely talking on the phone.

Then she heard "It's Kurosaki…he-"

Her eyes got wide when he stopped talking for a moment. Then she heard the sound of music and could no longer hear what he was saying.

"Smart ass…" she commented under her breath.

But at least now she knew what had upset him in this way. Ichigo had done something to him. Something very hurtful from the way he was acting. But what? He never seemed the type to purposely cause harm to someone.

She decided she would go and see him immediately. The best time to talk about a matter such as this would be now when it's just beginning, not after it had calmed down.

Standing from the floor, she grabbed her books and went to her room. A change of clothes was necessary. The nights had the tendency to get really cold since winter was nearing.

After putting on an oversized hoodie, a pair of skinny jeans and her winter boots, she made her way to the kitchen. Luckily Grimmjow had confined himself to his room. It's not like he would have asked her where she was going, but just the thought of him, in his current state, finding out that she was going to talk to Ichigo made her shiver.

Walking quickly and quietly into the kitchen, she grabbed her father's car keys and slipped into the garage.

"I should really get a car for my birthday…" she said grinning.

If only she had one, she wouldn't need to steal Grimmjow or their father's car.

Normally she would have walked, but there was no way she was doing that given the current weather. The news claimed temperatures in the lower forties.

Without delay, she got into the car, started it, and pulled out of the garage. She wanted to get to the bottom of this mess, even if Grimmjow would tell her it was none of her business.

* * *

Senna happily exited the shopping mall with her bag. She finally was able to afford to do a little shopping. With her cell phone bill and helping out at home with the bills, she often found her bank account pretty empty.

But her father recently got a promotion so he told her she no longer needed to give so much money. Music to her ears. Now she was sure to outdo even Rukia with all the anime apparel she was planning to buy.

She wrapped her scarf around her neck and ran over to her new Vespa.

Looking out to the Ferris wheel near the opposite end of the mall made her think of Ichigo. He had taken her there once. She loved it because she loved being up high. And as fearless as he seemed, he too seemed to enjoy it. That was a long time ago, though.

Nonetheless, she decided she would stop by his house on her way home. It wasn't too far out of the way and she got the feeling she needed to see him.

Starting up her Vespa, she rubbed her hands together, put on her gloves and quickly spun off from the large shopping center.

Driving through the city was her favorite. She always made an effort to ride up on the sidewalks to give some of the people a scare. Just for the fun of it.

Without realizing it thanks to all the fun she was having, she was now on Ichigo's street.

She pulled into his driveway and hopped of her scooter then took off her helmet to place it on the seat.

Suddenly, she was grabbed and she dropped it on the ground. A hand shot over her mouth and an arm wrapped around her waist then pulled her back across the street. She was then forced into a car and became terrified.

When the hands released her she cried out, "Don't kill me! Oh my god this is what I get for taking a detour on my way home tonight in this god forsaken weather! If you're gonna have your way with me at least be hot!"

When she heard a familiar fit of laughter, she jumped and then turned around.

"Neliel! Oh my god!"

"Yo!" Said girl flashed a peace sign and innocently stuck out her tongue.

"What are you-You made me drop my helmet on the ground! I got that last week! It's a Durarara exclusive limited edition!"

"Sorry! But I couldn't call out because I'm snooping."

"Snooping," Senna turned around and glanced at the Kurosaki clinic, "On Ichigo?"

"Duh!"

"Why?"

"Um, I just need to find out some things. I wanted to watch him for a while before I actually went to speak to him."

"Again, why…?"

"Do you really need to ask 'why'? I had the perfect opportunity! See the shades? And binoculars?"

Senna paused, looked at the sunglasses on Neliel's forehead, then the binoculars. She immediately became ecstatic, "I see what you mean!"

"Unfortunately, all I've been able to see is his silhouette. He took out the garbage earlier, but that was about it."

"So why not just go inside? You could watch him all the better from in there… And you're wasting gas just sitting in here with the heat on."

"Hm… I never thought about that. Good point."

"C'mon, let's-"

"Wait!" Neliel shouted.

"What!?"

"A car is pulling into the driveway."

Turning around, Senna nearly jumped through the window, "They're pushing my Vespa with their freaking car! Asshole! I'll kill them!"

"Who is it I wonder…"

The car that pulled into the driveway was all black. And pretty sleek at that.

Both girls watched in surprise when Ichigo came out of the house with his booksack. Senna became wide-eyed when she saw Ginjo get out from the driver side and greet him.

"Ginjo… What is he doing here?"

Neliel sat silently. She had already come to the conclusion Senna was definitely missing a few pieces to see. She didn't know about Grimmjow and his livid state of mind, especially when he had returned home.

But this… this put all the pieces together for Neliel. It was clear what had happened between her brother and Ichigo. Although, the reason Ichigo was with this man was completely unclear. She also had no idea who he was. But that didn't stop her racing thoughts.

Senna turned to her and started flipping out, but she couldn't tell her what she had just concluded.

This was clearly something to keep a secret. If Ichigo wanted to tell anyone, he would. Simple as that. Thus, she kept the breakup to herself.

More importantly, she would keep this tidbit of information from Grimmjow. Heaven help this man if he found out he was taking Ichigo late at night.

" _Ichigo…what are you doing…with that man? What is going on in your head?"_  she thought as she watched him depart with the man.

* * *

Ichigo sat with a blank expression on his face as he rode in the passenger's seat of Ginjo's car. Unfortunately, the man said that he had some matters to discuss and would love it if he would come and spend the night.

Against his better judgment, he agreed to go along with it.

As they continued on their way, he couldn't help but notice the dark brown eyes flocking over him. It made him very, very uncomfortable.

"You hungry? I can stop and pick up some food."

"No thanks."

"Really? Okay. You must have eaten dinner already. Yuzu sure can please a person's stomach."

"Yeah"

"Well, I've got some things to tell you. I guess I should start by saying I'll be leaving for a little while. I'm sure you're going to miss me."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and looked out the window. Inside though, he was extremely relieved, joyful even. Then he wondered something, "I don't have to go with you, do I?"

"Hahahaha! No, not at all. You're still a student after all. But I'll be back after a while. It's business, not pleasure. Don't worry though, we'll spend a lot of time together over your winter break."

" _Oh joy."_  the boy thought sarcastically.

After that conversation, the car became hushed. Luckily the sound of the tires striding along the road washed out the silence.

It didn't take too long to arrive at their destination. Ginjo pulled into the driveway of a condo and turned the car off before turning to Ichigo.

"Glad you're staying over. I really am. Want me to carry your bag?"

"No thanks, Ginjo."

"You got all you need in that thing? School stuff and clothes?"

"Yeah."

"Well then, let's get inside and out of this cold."

Ichigo stepped out of the car and followed Ginjo to the front door of his home.

"This is just a temporary living arrangement. I'm thinking of getting a mansion, but living all alone in one wouldn't be all that great." Ginjo said cockily as he unlocked and opened the door.

"You could adopt children. Or marry someone." The boy commented as he entered and Ginjo closed the door behind him.

"I'm marrying you. We can adopt children afterwards."

"…"

"Follow me. You can put your things in the guest room."

Ichigo followed Ginjo through the contemporarily decorated rooms and up the stairwell.

"I've got some work to do for tomorrow morning. Make yourself at home."

"Better get that work done."

"Right. Well, I'll be going."

When Ginjo left the room, Ichigo dropped his bag on the floor and fell face first onto the bed. It smelled nice. Likely because no one used this room, ever.

He sighed heavily and resigned himself to trying to fall asleep in this unfamiliar place.

It worked, but only for a short while.

Around twelve, Ginjo quietly walked into the darkened room. His frontal features were shadowed by the light pouring in from the hallway. It was still easy to see he was nearly undressed. All he was wearing was a sleeveless shirt and a pair of boxer-briefs.

"Gin-"

"Ichigo, don't sleep just yet."

"Why?" he asked, lifting his head.

Ginjo walked slowly over to the bed and stood over the boy, "I want you to sleep in my bed, with me."

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I just can't Ginjo."

"You have to."

"What?"

Brown eyes went wide as Ginjo bent over and pulled the blankets back. The larger man picked him up and headed out of the room.

"Let me go, Ginjo! I'm not sleeping with you!" he roared, thrashing about.

Ginjo ignored the shouts and continued into his own room then tossed Ichigo on the large bed after entering. He then crawled over to him and towered over him.

"I'm not having sex with you. Get it through your head!"

"Why not? I could rock your world, Ichigo."

"I just broke up with Grimmjow! And it's all your fucking fault! So get the hell away from me!"

"You have some reservations? Well, I guess that makes sense. But I'm not letting you sleep anywhere else so get cozy."

"What is wrong with you, Ginjo!? I'm not interested in you!"

"Ah. But I know you're lying. You know how? I caught you staring at me…multiple times when I visited your clinic. Mainly my arms and legs. You can say you're not interested, but we both know that's a lie."

Without another word, Ginjo clapped his hands and the lights went out.

Ichigo became immediately anxious.

It was dark. Very dark.

When the bed began shifting towards him, he felt his heart racing. More importantly, he felt like he was about to have a hyperventilation spell.

"Ichigo" Ginjo whispered.

"Stay away! Stay away!" said boy shouted jumping back.

What was it? Why was he so afraid right now? It wasn't like he wasn't attracted to other men. He never felt afraid when Grimmjow came at him. Sexually or even aggressively. And they had fought like dogs at some points.

So what was wrong now? What did Ginjo have that made him so intimidating?

Would he take Ichigo against his will? Was that what was so terrifying?

"Ginjo, I'll fucking break your balls! I'm not kidding! Stay away from me!"

"Calm down, kid. I'm just getting ready to sleep."

Suddenly, a large hand touched Ichigo's leg, causing him to jump.

"Just finding where you were. Get some sleep." Ginjo said, moving up and kissing the smaller boy on his lips. When he didn't feel any reaction, he spoke, "Kiss me back, Ichigo. Or would you prefer I go have that thug arrested? Don't forget why you're here in the first place."

"Stop. Don't. I'm begging you. Please."

"Then return my kiss. That's all I'm asking. You can do it."

Hesitating, and regretting more than anything ever having met Ginjo in the first place, Ichigo did as he was told.

Placing his lips on the other's made him feel sick. But he continued despite the feeling. He wrapped his arms around Ginjo's neck and got as close to him as he could. It had to be convincing.

He nearly bit it as he felt the man's tongue sliding into his mouth and nearly down his throat.

The cursed kiss had to have lasted about five minutes. As soon as Ginjo pulled away, pleased apparently, Ichigo turned and nearly lost the contents of his stomach to the floor.

He held it in, however. Something like that would ruin the entire effort. It would be completely insulting to allow it to happen.

Ginjo wrapped his arms around Ichigo and smiled, "Glad you came around."

When he got no response, he continued, "I hate constantly blackmailing you. I mean that. I really hope someday we'll reach the point where you  _want_  to be with me and not feel like you  _have_  to. Until then, there's nothing else I can really do…"

"You could let me go and move on with your life. That's always an option."

"No, I've grown way too fond of you. And I'm sure your mother would appreciate all the things I'll provide you with."

"Don't you dare bring her into this more than you already have!"

"I'm sorry, kid. I know you'll learn to love life here. For now though, get some sleep. Make yourself comfortable. Please."

"Whatever…" the orange haired boy stated.

He could already tell it would be a restless night. But if this is what it took to ensure Grimmjow had a decent future, he would bear it all. It was something he was fighting for, even if it didn't seem like it to Grimmjow.

This path he had taken was dangerous. But the sacrifice had to be made. It was proof of their love.

In this dark, unfamiliar room, all of his thoughts were wrapped in memories. At least, if anything, he would always have those. That may have been enough to get him to sleep tonight.


	15. Distraction

The only time true friends get in your way is when you're on a downward spiral.

* * *

Friday, mid-day.

Ichigo gazed out the classroom window while he sat alone in his fourth period French class as his teacher went on about Napoleon Bonaparte and his accomplishments.

Sometimes, class could be such an inconvenience…especially when faced with problems of the relationship sort.

He glanced over to the dry erase board and took not of the date today. The first thing he thought about was how it had almost been an entire week since he had let Grimmjow go. It was a decision harder and more mentally agonizing than any he had ever made before.

It was hard to believe that a week had almost passed. The only good thing that happened in that time was Ginjo's departure.

Words could not express the reprieve that brought to the teen. Ginjo had visited late on Tuesday evening to say goodbye. Ichigo didn't let him into the clinic though. Who knows, he would probably try to use his sisters to try and blackmail him if the opportunity arose.

Since his departure, things seemed a little brighter. Actually, apart from being apart from Grimmjow, things were  _a lot_  brighter. In spite of that major detail, Ichigo promised he would appreciate what time he had away from Ginjo.

The teacher looked at him then noticed his vacant expression, so he asked him what his plans for the weekend were. After all, there was  _nothing else_  students thought about on a Friday. Pardon that, on Vendredi.

"En francais, s'il vous plait." He added after asking.

Ichigo sighed but answered the question as best he could, "Je…je vais faire mes devoirs. Alors, je vais sans doute passer du temps avec mes amis." (I'm going to do homework. Then I'll probably spend some time with my friends.)

"Très bien, Kurosaki-san! Très bien!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. Being called out in class was really annoying, especially for daydreaming. It was Friday. Who wouldn't daydream? Or at least be ready to get out of school for the weekend.

More than anything though, he regretted today. Because today was the day that he would normally meet Grimmjow and spend a fair amount of time with him during the weekend.

He wondered what he was doing right now. And also, what would he do this weekend?

The more important question was, had he moved on from their break up already? Was he already going out and getting into other people's comfort zones?

He was really attractive. That was for sure. And he was bisexual. With those attributes, there was no doubt he was having sex by now. The thought of him with someone else hurt. It hurt like nothing he had ever felt before.

He loved Grimmjow and that was why. They had connected in ways he didn't expect possible after first meeting him. But it had happened. And it was wonderful. Magical even.

So the thought of Grimmjow having that with someone else really was upsetting.

But…what recently happened between them was all because of those connections…the exquisite love they shared was the reason they were no longer together.

And if life could turn out well for him thanks to this separation, then there was nothing to do but to let him go.

" _I hope you find happiness someday, Grimm… Just don't let those emotions and that temper cloud your judgment."_  He thought while looking out the window again.

Although the weather was cold, the sun shined brightly outside. It was a sign. Maybe he would be happy without him.

Though, he had still seemed to want to talk. He had texted him multiple times the day after the breakup, but Ichigo hadn't responded to him.

He didn't have anyone to blame but himself for the hurt that accompanied that.

Flashback

" _Apologizing won't be enough this time, Grimm. What you did to Ginjo was too much. You went too far… Now I see that things have spun too far out of control for me and I can't deal with you right now."_

" _Kurosaki-"_

" _And so, I think it'd be best if we-"_

" _Kurosaki!" Grimmjow shouted, jumping off the bed and gripping the shorter boy's arms with more force than necessary, "Don't you say it! Any problems we have we can solve them! I can change! I fucking apologized didn't I?! That's a start!"_

_Grimmjow paused and calmed himself down before continuing, "Kurosaki… I love you… So don't leave me. You can't leave. Not you. You're the only person in my life who I always expected to be here, so please…stay. Please."_

_Ichigo glanced quickly into the blue orbs he had grown so familiar with. They were full of passion as always, but now there were a few not so familiar feelings there as well. Fear and anxiety were just a two of the many raw emotions he could make out._

_This side of Grimmjow was one he barely ever got a glimpse of. He was hurting. That was easy to see. And he was pleading. Pleading._

_That wasn't the worst of it though. The thing that tore at his heart, the thing that was eating away at him was the promise that he had made to him when they first met, in the school garden, in the hot springs and so many other places. That promise being to never abandon the man desperately clinging on to him at this very moment begging him not to do just that._

_He couldn't keep eye contact, so he looked away before carrying on with his painful decision, "No. I can't…"_

" _Kurosaki-"_

" _Grimm, I-I think it'd be best for both of us if we…if we break up."_

_Grimmjow's eyes went wide. For a brief moment, the world became muted and he stared blankly at Ichigo. He was hoping to hear anything but that. Even no sex was better than no Ichigo at all._

_Ichigo's eyebrows shot downward and he closed his eyes._

_The bluenette released his grip on him and took a step back._

_The room fell silent. Uncomfortably and awkwardly silent._

_It took a few minutes before either spoke again, mainly because Ichigo was avoiding looking at the man standing and staring seriously at him without wavering conviction._

" _Kurosaki."_

_Ichigo didn't respond._

" _Kurosaki! Look at me!"_

" _Grimm, please…"_

" _I get it. I get what's going on here. You're tired of dealing with me so you figure now is the best time to get me out of your life, huh? The perfect opportunity arises and you take it?"_

" _No!" Ichigo shouted, looking directly at Grimmjow now, he continued, "That's not it! So shut up!"_

" _Then what the hell is it?"_

" _I can't deal with your temper, that's true. But it's not like I want you out of my life forever… I'm not trying to get rid of you for convenience. I still want to be friends…"_

_One of the worst possible ideas ever conceived, trying to be friends with an ex. But there was no way Ichigo would let Grimmjow completely vanish from his life._

_He was going to keep an eye on him, to at least ensure he kept out of trouble and stayed safe._

_It would be hard to be "friends," but he would bear with it. For Grimmjow's sake._

" _I'm going home."_

" _Bye, Grimmjow. And please, don't hate me."_

" _Che. Adios Kurosaki." Said man said as he hurried out of the bedroom and quickly exited the house._

_At least the twins weren't in the living room right now although they were just a little earlier. For some reason he didn't want them to know about this fight. He was determined, from the moment he absorbed the severing words Ichigo spoke, to get him back._

_It was not a matter of choice, getting him back. There was no one else like him in this world. He was definitely one of a kind._

_And they had been through far too much to just let everything fall apart now. Moreover, he loved Ichigo. He hadn't known what love was until he met him. No one had ever intrigued him like Kurosaki. No one ever showed him what it meant to protect and be protected. It was all foreign to him._

_That's why this was so hard on him. But he wouldn't let things go that easily._

" _I'm not losing you!" Grimmjow shouted up to the boy's window before he jumped into his car and burnt rubber against pavement._

_This declaration was one he wouldn't live down._

_Upon hearing Grimmjow's proclamation, Ichigo fell to his knees and punched the floor as hard as he could._

" _Damnit, Ginjo!" he exclaimed._

End Flashback

After a few unopened text messages, they stopped coming altogether. Grimmjow must have given up on that approach.

Despite leaving them unread, Ichigo had not deleted them. At some point, when he was ready, he would read them. And he would reply.

Until then, they'd remain archived messages.

Just as his teacher was getting into the next lesson, the bell rang, signaling the end of class.

Ichigo put his books into his bag and closed it before standing and exiting the classroom. He would eat lunch with everyone, but today, he didn't feel like going to math, so he would leave immediately after.

* * *

And so, lunch went by like any other. The only real difference was around this time of year, they had to eat lunch in the cafeteria because it was pretty cold outside. Octobers were the start of the unpleasant weather.

Despite that, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Renji whispered things in Shuhei's ear that made him turn a deeper red than a beet. Keigo and Mizuiro played their handhelds, ignoring their actual lunches. Tatsuki threatened Honsho for getting too close to Inoue. And things like that.

It was expected. Expected, but welcome as always.

However, someone was quieter than usual.

Senna had sat down the whole lunch period without saying much at all. When he glanced over to her, he found her eyes fixed on him. She clearly had something to say, but refused to articulate it.

He decided he would let her strange behavior go for the time being. When she was ready, she was sure to express whatever it was she wanted to say.

Lunch ended and everyone went their separate ways, each having a class to attend.

Not Ichigo though. He was definitely skipping math today. He could just read the chapter and catch up to the class.

Just as he was leaving campus for the day, he was stopped by Rukia. She smiled warmly and told him to come over to her place later today after doing his homework for a small party.

He sincerely returned her smile and agreed to be over at his earliest convenience.

As he watched her leave, he couldn't help but wonder if he should talk to her about Grimmjow and Ginjo. She was definitely one of the most level headed people in their group.

Then he remembered that he was going to do his best to keep everyone out of this mess. The last thing he needed was another situation like the one he faced with Aizen.

Little did he know, the seeds, although of a different kind, had already been planted in the minds of two of his friends.

* * *

Dusk.

Rukia greeted each guest that she had invited to her party as they arrived. So far, Renji, Senna, Ishida and Chad had shown up.

The last two she was expecting were Ichigo and Inoue. Neither had turned her down when she asked, so she was still expecting them to show.

Currently, Renji, Chad and Ishida were locked in a game of Left 4 Dead. Senna sat on the couch texting rapidly and gave a look to what was going on when she heard a witch crying out and attacking.

For some reason, she always attacked Renji. That was because he was the one to throw mazel tov cocktail bombs at her.

Byakuya arrived home from a late meeting and greeted everyone before heading upstairs for the night. Rukia was responsible and he trusted her. Even with her seemingly immature friends around he was certain she would handle things properly.

Rukia sat down on the couch and started watching the game herself. Ichigo and Inoue would arrive soon enough.

* * *

Ichigo walked down Rukia's street slowly. Her house was pretty far down the way. Luckily he didn't have to pass Grimmjow's house to get there.

But still, he couldn't help himself from thinking of Grimmjow and the silly things they had done on this street.

Once, he had convinced him to feed one of the neighbor's mean dogs laxatives. Not the nicest thing to do, but apparently that dog was notorious for late night barking. Grimmjow said he deserved it.

Exhaling deeply, Ichigo shook his head and stopped.

"I'll never get over him like this…" he said to himself.

"Get over who?" Inoue asked.

"GYAAAAH! Inoue! What the heck!?"

"Hi!" the girl chimed.

"Where did you come from!?"

"I just saw you a few minutes ago and when I caught up to you, you seemed upset. So I just followed you."

"Don't do things like that…"

"Sorry heehee. I won't scare you next time." Inoue paused before continuing, "Who were you talking about getting over? Is it Abarai-kun? Aren't you happy with Jaegerjaques-kun?"

"Uh, I was talking about a singer who decided to change his style to dubstep… It'll be hard to get over a style change…"

"Is that all? You know, change isn't always such a bad thing. In his own way, maybe he'll make a unique type of…dubstep? I'm sure he'll stay true to himself while changing. So maybe you won't need to 'get over him'."

Ichigo stood and stared at Inoue. He had completely given a false reason in explanation of his words, but she had possibly told him exactly what he needed to hear right now.

It was strange how deep she could be when given the right opportunity. She otherwise seemed overly carefree.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

"Uh, let's get to Rukia's. It's a little cold out tonight." He said, brushing a few stray strands of hair from the girl's face.

"Right!"

Inoue walked beside Ichigo, smiling happily as they made their way down the street. Ichigo realized that being with his friends was always the perfect distraction from the hardships of life.

He hoped he would never lose any one of them because he needed their never ending, everlasting support.

* * *

Rukia had welcomed Ichigo and Inoue into her mansion when they arrived. And with them, her guest list had been completed. Thus, the party began.

And the night went by nicely. Everyone had gotten their fill of video games, music, and movies.

Ichigo was enjoying the company of each person who was in his presence tonight. They made him forget his troubles, live in the moment and enjoy that moment.

As Renji placed a movie into the dvd player, Ichigo felt his stomach acting strangely. He got up and quietly left the room to head upstairs to Rukia's bathroom.

The moment he reached it though, his stomach seemed to have disappeared all together. It wasn't giving him anymore trouble.

Feeling a little strange now just being in Rukia's room, Ichigo walked out onto the balcony to stare out at the sky again. It truly was his favorite thing to observe.

A few moments of stargazing, he turned his attention to his actual surroundings. Things had changed since the last time he had come out here. The last time he was in this spot, he and Grimmjow had had a magical moment under these same stars. It was here that Grimmjow had told him what he really thought about him. They really bonded but now that bond was under an intense strain. Nonetheless, that moment was one he would never forget.

"Ichigo?"

Said boy turned around when he heard Rukia calling his name.

"Hm?"

"What are you doing out here in this cold weather?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing. I just needed a breather."

"Oh? Anything you wanna talk about?"

"Nah, I'm okay."

"Are you  _sure_?"

"Y-yeah, Rukia."

"Hm, okay. C'mon. Let's get back to everyone. We were wondering where you went."

Ichigo smiled and followed Rukia back into the house and out of the cold embrace of this October night.

For now, there was no need to kill the mood with memories and regrets. Luckily everyone was here for him, giving him the support he needed without even knowing it. Again they had saved him from himself and showed him that he was not alone.

Friends really are a treasure to cherish.


	16. A Helping Hand, A Minuet of Fists

*Minuet - a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in 3/4 time

* * *

Saturday evening.

Ichigo, along with Inoue and Senna, made their way down a semi-crowded sidewalk after seeing a movie they had wanted to see since it came out. Well, Inoue and Senna had really wanted to see it. Rukia too. She would have joined them had it not been for her brother.

He had been invited, along with his darling younger sister, to attend a private dinner party tonight.

Ichigo thought seriously for a moment.

Ishida and his father were probably invited to that same party. It was one of those gatherings for those upscale families with a lot of money.

Thus, he and his family weren't invited.

But that was okay. Just fine actually. Galas and things like that were not exactly what he'd consider fun anyway.

"Well that movie was just swell!" Inoue chirped as she recalled a scene of the protagonist saving his friend and her falling head over heels in love with him.

"I would've preferred it if he had fallen in love with the school hottie who was clearly confused with his sexuality, but I guess society isn't ready for that kind of thing yet…"

"Kurosaki-kun, did you enjoy the movie?" Inoue asked.

"Piss ants…" Senna brewed.

More open about it now than she was in the past, Senna was not ashamed of her love for yaoi. Which was strange. Girls of all people enjoying yaoi. It didn't make much sense, but perhaps it was just one of those things that shouldn't have been questioned in the first place.

"Yeah, it was okay. Not enough action for me though…"

"Really? I think it was a perfect balance of action, romance, and supernatural powers."

"Hey, can we stop for some food or something? I'm kinda hungry…" Senna commented, holding her stomach sympathetically.

Ichigo immediately tuned out of Inoue and Senna's debate about where to eat dinner the moment he saw a familiar face exiting a convenience store nearby.

It was Grimmjow. Not surprising though. It was the weekend so he'd come back home from Tokyo. But what for was the question.

In his hand he held an energy drink and it kind of seemed like he had been running. His attire consisted of a running jacket and sweat pants with a pair of all black running shoes.

Curious as to what he was about to do now, Ichigo decided he would follow him.

But he had to make sure to leave Inoue and Senna some place safe and where they would probably stay for a while.

His brown eyes landed on the coffee and donut shop just down the street. Perfect. No way Inoue would want to leave that place early.

"Inoue, Senna, come with me."

"Huh? Why Ichigo?"

"Just come on." The orange haired boy instructed.

The two girls followed him down the street and into the shop. Ichigo told them to take a seat in one of the private booths and said he would be back after a little while.

Senna glanced at her cell phone, "It's like, seven o'clock. Where are you running off to leaving us here all alone, buddy? Shouldn't we be calling it a night soon?"

"Sorry, but I've got something I need to see to so I'll come and pick you two up as soon as I'm done. I promise." And with that, Ichigo dashed out of the shop.

Grimmjow was probably gone by now thanks to him saving face and making sure the girls were okay while he was away from them.

He quickly made his way past all the people exiting the clothing stores to get back to the store he had seen Grimmjow exiting from. It was too late though. Grimmjow wasn't there anymore.

"Hm… I guess I'll have to think like a fitness freak to find a fitness freak…" he said.

Glancing left he saw the way back to the theater he had left with the girls not too long ago and more clothing stores. When he turned to his right, he saw a path leading to a park.

"It's gotta be the park." He commented.

With that thought in mind, he was sure he'd run into Grimmjow. Or, at least find him. He didn't want to talk to him at the moment as things were sure to be awkward thanks to their break up.

If he saw him, he'd just follow him to figure out how he was taking their separation. Simple as that.

However, it's unfortunate for him that things weren't meant to play out in such a way.

* * *

"What do you think Ichigo had to go do?" Senna asked Inoue.

"I'm not sure… But I know it's extremely hard to not eat any donuts…"

"Why aren't you eating any donuts…?"

"Because we should wait for Kurosaki-kun to come back before we begin eating. It's the polite thing to do."

"You sure are proper aren't you? You sure you're not royalty?"

"I don't think I am Senna. Someone like me is way too clumsy and goofy to ever be considered royalty." Inoue giggled but spoke sincerely.

She was acknowledging the truth at least. But Senna eyed her nonetheless.

No matter how much she denied it, Inoue  _had_  to be related to some important king. Silly fool. Just as foolish as his own daughter.

Why send her off to some small town like this and have her out of his sight like this? Even if he was trying to protect her from something, how could he be sure she was safe?

Then it hit her, "Inoue, who pays your bills? Particularly your cell phone bill."

That was how they probably knew she was still alive. A person living alone with utilities included in the rent isn't exactly proof of life. The cell phone bill, however, depended on the person's actions on their phone.

"Some distant relatives of mine."

"Distant relatives, huh? Have you ever met them?"

"Not that I remember, but maybe I did when I was too young to remember."

"Hmmmm… I'll buy your story  _for now_  princess. But if you ever return to your kingdom, make sure you tell your kingly dad it was us who saved you."

"I doubt anything like that will ever happen silly."

Senna sighed and looked out the window. Of course not. It was just her overactive imagination getting the best of her again. There was no way anything as farfetched as she was thinking could actually be true. The girl in front of her was just a normal person living a normal life.

But if the day came when she was revealed to have some connection with a powerful king of some kind, she would sing "I told you so" from the mountain tops.

For now though, she would simply enjoy the other girl's company.

* * *

Ichigo had searched and searched the park but he did not see Grimmjow anywhere. And he was second guessing searching for him now.

They had broken up and seeing him would only make things worse.

"Guess I need to get back to-"

"Hey boys look who it is!" he heard some guy call out a ways ahead of where he was standing.

He didn't want to know what was going on. Probably some gang fight or something.

"Grow up…" he said before turning to leave.

"Good ol' Grimmjow!"

Ichigo froze on the spot. Well, this definitely recaptured his attention.

He turned around and walked briskly down the trail and ducked out of sight as four thugs stood in Grimmjow's way, successfully obstructing his path to the other end of the park.

From what he was observing, it seemed like a fight was inevitable. Or, unavoidable.

Should he jump in and help? Would he even be able to help Grimmjow in this situation or would he just get in the way?

This reminded him of all the nights Grimmjow had come to his clinic, covered in scrapes and bruises. He would always avoid using the front door in those situations and instead used the window to Ichigo's room.

Was this the cause of all those occasions?

"Grimmjow…what have you been up to…?" he asked himself, sure it couldn't have been good whatever it was.

For quite a few minutes, the men taunted Grimmjow unmercifully but he kept his composure through it all.

This made Ichigo remember his promise to change and get a hold of his temper. Well, he hadn't actually said that last part, but that was usually what got him into trouble so that was clearly what he needed to work on.

And he seemed to have been doing okay…until one of the men got bold and slapped the drink from his hand. It spilled all over the ground and upon glancing closely, Ichigo could see that some of it got on Grimmjow's shoes.

That was not going to fly in the least.

"Why don't you just tell us what we wanna know and we'll deal with you later." The slim guy bated.

"Piss off, fucking toilet licker piece of shit."

The orange haired boy nearly fell down in laughter.  _That_  was his response?

Immediately, he realized that was completely out of the blue. Which meant Grimmjow's anger was surely reaching cataclysmic levels by now.

He turned back to see what would happen next, but everyone remained silent for a few moments before a man unexpectedly approached Grimmjow from behind and sent his fist across the back of his head.

Ichigo was wide eyed and speechless. Then he realized that he should have warned Grimm, but it happened so fast he couldn't have done anything.

Regardless, that was the final straw.

Grimmjow turned around and lashed out on the sneak.

He had the upper hand until the other four jumped in and started punching and kicking him.

It was unfair the way they crowded him. Clearly none of them were strong enough to take him one on one.

"That's it!" Ichigo shouted, unable to keep watching from a safe distance.

He sprinted over to them as quickly as he could. Bringing his hands together and intertwining his fingers, he sent his hands smashing over one of the men's head. If they wanted to play dirty, he would too.

His arrival surprised everyone. And when Grimmjow saw him, he was more than glad. Fighting alongside Ichigo was something he had never really been able to do and these assholes had provided him the perfect opportunity.

The largest of the group got really irritated and tackled Ichigo to the ground before he punched his cheek, causing the boy to momentarily lose himself to absolute senselessness.

He brought his hand up to his cheek and let the world flow back into to him. He had to get this guy off of him if he didn't wanna loose any teeth, or his life.

Grimmjow couldn't save him though. He was busy trying to hold four of them off at once.

The large man knelt down and lifted Ichigo by the collar of his jacket, about to slam his head in, but Ichigo thought too fast for him. Grabbing a handful of dirt from the ground, he threw it right in the man's eyes.

"AAAH! SHIT!"

Seeing his opportunity, Ichigo tackled the vulnerable man to the ground, effectively turning the tables. Thinking of no other way to knock him out, he grabbed the man's head and slammed it against the ground.

He wouldn't be getting up from that anytime soon that was for sure.

Grimmjow was currently being held down by two men as another laid viciously into him.

"Grimmjow!"

"Damnit, Kurosaki! Behind you!" said man exclaimed through the repeated punches to his torso.

Ichigo turned around swiftly. He had forgotten to do a head count. One of them had gone missing and it was the one now approaching him with a crowbar.

"You bastards don't fight fair, huh!?" he said angrily.

"This is a ruthless game, kid. You should've stayed at home studying instead of getting out wit' the big boys."

Grimmjow was being overpowered and he couldn't do anything to turn the situation around.

"Hey, let's take this redheaded kid with us!" the one pounding Grimmjow's sides called when he got a look at Ichigo.

He stopped and made sure the other two could keep holding him before stepping off and approaching the other boy.

"Kurosaki, no!"

Ichigo was frozen. A man approaching from the front with a crowbar and another from behind.

What to do now? How could he win this fight?

"RAGH!" Grimmjow yelled, snatching himself free from the two holding him.

As they staggered, he realized that seconds counted now. No, milliseconds.

The two he had just broke free from would surely come for him if he ran for Ichigo, but if he didn't, Ichigo and his pretty little face were toast.

In some form of otherworldly power, Grimmjow spun around and slammed both of his former captives' heads together before turning and running past both Ichigo and the other guy to get to the man with the crowbar.

No way in hell would he let that kind of pain be inflicted on what was once his.

When the crowbar wielding man saw this, he panicked and threw his weapon. It effectively hit Grimmjow in the temple, but that did nothing to slow him down.

Ichigo watched in awe as the man was taken down and punched unconscious by this awakened beast.

" _Was this what he was going to do to Ginjo…?"_  he wondered.

"Kurosaki, fucking behind you!"

Ichigo turned and as soon as he did a fist knocked him to the ground.

"Shit!" he hissed. That was the same place lummox number one had hit him not five minutes ago.

The last man standing approached him, about to attack again, but Grimmjow stepped in just in time.

He ran and leaped over Ichigo's kneeling form and let his fist fly right into the center of the man's face.

The blow caused the man to lose it all. Knees weakening, he fell backwards onto the ground, completely knocked out.

Ichigo let his stinging cheek go and stared at the sight.

Grimmjow towering over the men. He had taken four of them out in a desperate attempt to save him.

In this moment, he truly was his hero.

"Get up, Kurosaki! We gotta get outta here!"

Ichigo nodded in agreement and stood. After getting his bearings and making sure he could still walk properly, both men ran as fast as they could through the park and to a secluded fountain a ways away from it.

Completely and utterly out of breath, Ichigo bent forward and fell to his knees onto the structure.

He then dipped out a handful of water and splashed himself in the face with it.

Grimmjow observed and shook his head, "Pansy."

"Shut up! I'm like this because I was trying to save your ass!"

"I didn't ask you to do that. Just so you know."

"You didn't need to…! I could see it clear as day!"

Blue eyes rolled.

"What the hell was that about, Grimmjow? I thought you were staying out of trouble!"

"It's not really any of your business and it's definitely not what you're thinking."

"Then what is it!?"

"Calm the fuck down would you? It's like you've never fought in your life..."

"Don't avoid the question…"

"I said it's none of your business, didn't I? Just be glad you escaped with little more than a bruised cheek."

"Tell me what that was about. What information were they pressuring you for?"

"You wanna know? Fine. They wanted me to sell out the person responsible for putting Aizen's ass behind bars. I wouldn't talk so they finally got enough balls between the five of them to challenge me. Happy?"

"Wait, wait. So all the nights you came to me all beaten-"

"One on one fights. And it's not like I was losing, they just fight dirty."

"Grimmjow…"

"I won every single one of 'em. And this one too. You just got in my way...a lot."

"I took out the biggest one!" Ichigo exclaimed, showing his cheek as proof.

"That'll go down with ice. Won't even be that noticeable on that pretty face of yours by the time you go back to school Monday."

"Whatever… I helped you and you know it."

Grimmjow stared at the boy seated before him. Why was he everything he was looking for in a guy? And why could they be together no longer?

"Kurosaki, you know, I-I still love you…"

Ichigo was taken completely by surprise by that comment.

He quickly looked down to his sweating hands, needing to avoid eye contact.

Grimmjow's keeping quiet and fighting with those brutes was how he proved to himself that his love for his former mate was true. And he had just spilled it to Ichigo.

This made him feel compelled to tell Grimmjow of his own uphill battle, but that would only lead to consequence. Ginjo may not have even been conscious to testify if Grimmjow ever found out about his constant bribing.

Looking back up, he knew he couldn't speak of it. It'd be like telling Grimmjow to have no mercy.

But those cerulean eyes were absorbing him. Just looking into them made him forget everything else, even the fight they had just won.

The two stared at each other for what felt like eons. Brown into blue and blue into brown.

When Grimmjow knelt down and moved in for a kiss, Ichigo panicked and backed away.

"Grimm, no."

"What?"

"I can't. It's not an appropriate time for something like that. And we're not together anymore…"

"Kurosaki-"

"I-I have to go…"

Grimmjow watched as Ichigo stood and retreated from his side. It seemed that even saving him couldn't bring him back.

* * *

With each step he took, Ichigo felt more and more guilty. He hadn't tended to Grimmjow's wounds, and he was leaving him again.

He hadn't even thanked him for saving him from whatever fate those guys were going to give him.

"I'm so sorry Grimmjow…"

The girls were waiting for him. For now, he would find solace in the fact that he  _had_  to leave and return to them.


	17. Discovery of a Familiar

Familiar faces often return to familiar places.

* * *

Monday morning. Third period.

"Renji's been so overbearing lately… It's been sex day in and day out." Shuhuei commented quietly as he and Ichigo conversed while their classmates talked amongst themselves.

"Wow, that was not what I was expecting to hear." Ichigo laughed.

"Sorry, but that's been a big part of our relationship lately. It's just sex, sex, sex."

"Well, you should have known it would be that way. He's been like that since middle school…always jerking off when he thought he was alone…"

"I know, don't remind me. But the sex isn't really the problem… It's actually out of this world amazing. The problem is how many times he wants to go at it when we get the chance. I'm out of…you know…by the time he wants to go a fourth round… We even did some oral on that tour at XCUTION."

Ichigo paused before laughing hysterically. Take that Ginjo! For a moment, he was highly entertained by the thought.

Then he remembered the first part, "Wait, four times!?"

"Yeah…well, not all at once, but we do it four times in a day when given the chance."

"Sheesh. Even me and Grimmjow never did it- Uh, I mean, tell him when you're tired or spent. Even ukes have some power in the relationship. Besides, trying to force an ejaculation is far from healthy so use that excuse if you have to."

"Hm, I never thought about that. It's just…he just gets me with that look and the boxers practically come off on their own." Shuhei said while holding his chin between his index finger and thumb.

"Hey, we should  _probably_ finish this group work." Ichigo advised, changing the subject.

That was what they were originally supposed to be doing this period. The teacher had stepped out to take a call but before she did, she had assigned them some work to complete by the end of the hour.

Ichigo hadn't really wanted to talk about Renji. Or rather, Renji's sexual tendencies. He was suddenly reminded of that time in the showers and it kind of unsettled him a bit. More importantly, it reminded him of Grimmjow and that was a painful subject right now.

He had even mentioned him in their conversation. Luckily Shuhei didn't seem to notice.

Just as they were getting back into the packet, the bell rang signaling the end of third period.

"Damnit."

"Yeah, I know." Ichigo sighed. Another assignment he'd have to go home and take care of.

When he made to take the packet, Shuhei grabbed it and blushed a bit, "Heh, it's one hundred percent my fault we didn't finish with my talk about my sex life. I'll take care of it and have it done by tomorrow morning."

"You don't have to do that, Shuhei. If I didn't wanna hear, not that I did, no offense, I would have told you."

"Nah, it's fine. Besides, I'll have an excuse not to have Renji over tonight. I think it'll do my sperm count a major favor."

After shaking his head, Ichigo agreed, "Okay, just call if you need help then."

"Alright."

The boys went their separate ways in the hallway and Ichigo headed upstairs to his French class.

Before he reached it, Inoue saw him, ran up to him and began digging in her booksack.

"Here! It's the latest One Piece manga! It just came out so I know you don't have it!" she said accomplishedly.

"Wow, thanks Inoue! I was going to go get it next week. Didn't know it would come out this early."

"Mhm! I saw it on my way to school this morning."

"Oh," Ichigo said before leaning against the window, "So I've been meaning to ask… How are things going with you and Shishigawara?" he asked. It had been a while since she last spoke about him.

"We're doing fine. We had our first date and we both decided we were just going to date and not get into anything serious."

"Hm… That means no…you know…right?"

"No what, Kurosaki-kun?"

"S-sex, Inoue."

"Oh! Oh no! Well, he said only when I was ready and only when I wanted to. I think you and Abarai-kun intimidate him to the point where he doesn't want to think he's out of line."

"Let's hope that's not the only reason."

"I don't think so. He's a good guy, just a little hard to understand." Inoue giggled.

The two were talking so much they completely neglected the time and the fact that they had classes to get to. When the one minute warning bell rang, they quickly agreed to speak later at lunch and parted ways.

Ichigo watched Inoue until she was all the way down the hallway before walking into his seemingly empty French class.

He said good morning to the instructor before taking his normal seat in the middle of the class next to the windows. For some reason, the sun was shining bright today.

The teacher got up in front of the class when the tardy bell rang and smiled exuberantly.

"Class, we have a lot of work to get through and I know you'll give it your best! But also, we have a new student today! Monsieur Jaegerjaques, please stand and introduce yourself to the rest of the class please."

* * *

"Renji, why are you always,  _always_  pestering me?" Senna asked as quietly as she could.

The two sat side by side on stools in their biochemistry class. Somehow, the teacher had made them lab partners. Of ALL the people in the class, they had to be forced to spend an entire year together. All they did was disagree and the teacher said no partner changes while spouting something along the lines of being an adult means compromising and doing things we'd rather not do.

Said man smirked and shrugged, "'Cause you make it so easy for me."

"Oh my god. If I knew you were taking this class this hour, I never would've even thought about scheduling it."

"You need it to graduate. Don't forget to think,  _professor_." Renji smugly remarked.

"Ugh!"

Giving up on even thinking about the immature guy sitting next to her in their lab class, Senna fell face down on her desk and shut her eyes tightly.

" _WHY ME!?"_ she inwardly lamented.

"Onto serious matters, Ichigo's been acting weird lately. Have you noticed?"

"Nope."

"Really, guess you're not as good a friend as I am then."

"Give it up, Renji. Even  _if_  he's been acting stranger than usual, whatever he's going through is probably something he doesn't want to involve us in. Ever heard of privacy before? Thought not."

"Say whatever you want. But a true friend gets involved and is there to help even if they're told not to. I guess in Ichigo's case, it'd be more like being ignored than him actually telling us to stay out of it..."

Senna offered no response to that. Though she hated to admit it, Renji was absolutely right. A good friend was actively involved in their friends' lives. And with what she had seen that night, maybe getting involved was exactly what was necessary. She should have called him on it the moment she saw him get in that car.

What was he doing with Ginjo so late at night anyway? Was he cheating on Grimmjow? Not that she particularly cared about Grimmjow on any deep level, but he had inevitably become a part of her life so she thought it was unfair to him.

That was why she had been a little withdrawn lately apart from Saturday. He must have noticed how quiet she was being when it was just the two of them, but that didn't matter. Even Grimmjow didn't deserve to be cheated on.

Despite her own feelings, she would stay in her place and not spill the beans to anyone. It was something she may be able to discuss with Neliel, but what would she know that she herself didn't?

" _Ichigo, are you cheating on Grimmjow with Ginjo?"_  she thought.

* * *

Ichigo quickly whipped his head around the classroom when he heard Grimmjow's name called. They landed on the familiar head topped with a mess of blue spikes.

He couldn't believe it. It was Grimmjow, live and in the flesh.

"Gr-grimmjow…? What the hell are you still doing here?" he whispered to himself.

"The name's Grimmjow. That's pretty much all you people need to know about me. Stay on my good side and we'll all get along swimmingly." Grimmjow said without interest.

When his blue eyes landed on Ichigo, he looked away and sat back down.

Some of the students started whispering about his introduction. Girls squealing and commenting how hot the new guy (though he wasn't so new) was and guys asking who the hell he thought he was. The teacher silenced them with the introduction of the day's assignment.

However, Ichigo was too focused on Grimmjow to be paying attention to it.

As he observed the man, the thing he noticed to stand out the most was the trim job Grimmjow had around the sides and, out of complete presumption, on the back of his head. Had he gotten a trim after their little tag team battle?

It made him looked so…so nice and neat. Well, his hair did anyway. His uniform jacket was unzipped, his shirt buttoned to the top revealing his undershirt, and he had foregone wearing his tie. Typical Grimmjow and his I don't give a fuck attitude.

When his observation was detected, he quickly turned his attention to his textbook. The last thing he wanted was for Grimm to know he was how much he was still interested in him. Those feelings had to buried away, deep.

" _I wonder if he got fired… Wouldn't that be just freakin' perfect? Me breaking up with him to ensure he had a chance at a future and he go and lose his job."_  Ichigo thought, noting how the universe sometimes had it out for him like that.

"Class, please turn to page two thirty two in your books. We have some reading and responding to get to. I'd like you to fill an entire page en francais s'il vous plait." The teacher instructed.

"Ugh…" Ichigo sighed.

His eyes moved across the classroom and back to Grimmjow. He wondered how well he'd do on this assignment. After all, French was in his blood thanks to his mother. Though, that didn't mean  _he_  was fluent in it.

Grimmjow's genealogy consisted of Japanese and quite a few European lineages. It was why he looked more Caucasian than everyone else. The second in that particular line was Inoue. But since she didn't know her family, she didn't know what exactly she was.

Japanese definitely dominated though.

When the teacher caught him staring at Grimmjow, Ichigo hastily turned back to his work that he had yet to begin doing.

When class was over, he made his way over to the side of the classroom Grimm had sat on.

Astonishingly enough, his page was full. And that was no overstatement. His handwriting was kind of small so whatever he had said in that response, he hadn't held back.

"Need something, Kurosaki?" the man asked, knowing it was him without even turning around.

"Oh, no. Just going to turn in my paper."

With that, Ichigo walked to the front of the class and dropped his paper on the teacher's desk before leaving the classroom.

What the hell was Grimmjow doing  _here_  in Karakura at school? That question raced through his mind multiple times as he walked down the hallway.

Before he reached the staircase, his arm was grabbed causing him to come to a full stop.

"Kurosaki."

Turning, Ichigo acknowledged Grimmjow, "Yes, Grimmjow?"

"The teacher told me to give this to you." He said, holding up a notification about the French club.

"Wha…?"

Once reading it, he could see that it was merely an invitation to join.

"Are you gonna take it or not?"

"Sure."

That sly devil. Getting Grimmjow to talk to him from just catching him staring at him during class. He had gotten that notification at least five times in the past month.

"Well, I'm outta this place. Four classes baby." The bluenette excitedly stated.

"Grimmjow."

"Yes?"

"I don't know how else to ask this, and I don't want to be rude, but…what are you doing here? Did you lose your job?"

"Hehehehahaha!"

"What's-what's so funny?"

"I didn't lose my fucking job! You think I'm just a big screw up, huh Kurosaki?"

"No! It's just surprising to see you here…"

"Since we're not together anymore it's not really any of your business…" Grimmjow snidely remarked before getting suspicious, "Why do you care in the first place?"

"I'm just curious. Sheesh."

"'Just curious', huh? Ever heard of branching?"

"Yeah… So you got transferred?"

"Bingo."

"Well, at least you can save money on gas now."

Grimmjow didn't offer any response to the small talk. He merely stood in place and stared into Ichigo's eyes.

The moment was brief, slightly awkward, but lovely nonetheless. The sun beamed through the window and warmed them both. It was a nice feeling given how cold the weather had been lately.

"Well, I guess I'd better get going. Lunch is calling my name."

"Wait!" Grimmjow exclaimed.

Ichigo froze, "What?"

"Kurosaki, you said we could still be friends, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, do you wanna maybe go get lunch together later?"

Ichigo didn't respond right away. The offer was one in need of serious consideration. On one hand, he had indeed told Grimmjow they could still be friends. That much was true. But spending time with him wouldn't be the wisest decision on his part. Spending time together was likely to end up more harmful than helpful.

On the other, he did want to be with Grimmjow like they used to be. He wanted it more than anything.

Looking at his earnest expression, he knew he wouldn't be able to say no to the invitation. This man was his Achilles' heel. Though  _he_  would most likely argue it was Inoue.

But this was innocent. Lunch couldn't hurt so he gave his response.

"I'd actually like that."

When Grimmjow's pearly whites flashed, he felt butterflies fluttering about in his stomach. Despite that, this was simply platonic and could be nothing more.

"But just because we're eating lunch together doesn't mean we're getting back together."

"I know that!"

"Well, I have to go let everyone know I won't be joining them and I have some games to drop off to Renji."

"Let's meet up after that then."

"Okay, where'd you have in mind?"

"Hmm, how 'bout the garden?"

"The garden…?"

"Yeah man."

Ichigo took a moment to think about the choice in location.

Obviously Grimmjow was still holding on to the past and what used to be. After all, the garden was the place they had first bonded as friends. He could have been trying to recreate that bond, which was very clever on his part.

Although he was soon to be engaged and had broken up with Grimmjow like he was instructed, Ginjo never said anything about them being friends.

Against the intense feeling that his own feelings would arise again for the man standing before him, he agreed, "The garden it is then."


	18. Cosmic Motivation

Like the night sky, his universe is shrouded in darkness because of the radiant star he's placed in its center. He endures the pain because he wants to someday hold it in the palm of his hand again.

* * *

Monday afternoon.

Ichigo slowly made his way to the school garden, now headed by nurse Unohana who had a certain liking for him.

He had gone to the cafeteria and told everyone that he wouldn't be joining them for lunch today which drew quite a few reactions. The only people who didn't complain and told him to take care of his business were Ishida and Rukia.

Well, Senna didn't really say anything. What was up with her lately?

The only time he heard her talk nowadays was when other people were around.

He honestly couldn't figure out what could have had her so upset with him. It kind of upset him because she was his bundle of excitement and impulsive craziness. Hopefully she'd return to her normal self soon enough.

His thoughts of his friends vanished when he rounded the corner and the garden came into his sight.

Memories of his first meeting with Grimmjow came flooding in…

Flashback

_When Grimmjow had entered the garden and told Ichigo that Renji and Tatsuki were getting creamed on the soccer field by Nnoitora, Ichigo sat in absolute disbelief._

_He knew there was no way Tatsuki would go down easy at her own school._

_He, in turn, taunted Grimmjow claiming he would never be able to take Tatsuki down in a soccer match._

_The look on his face when he heard that was priceless as he dropped his pizza onto his plate._

" _What!?"_

" _That's right. I said it. You. Don't. Stand. A. Chance."_

" _We'll see!" Grimmjow exclaimed before picking up his pizza and angrily eating it._

_No way he would ever lose to that chick._

" _Anyway, Grimmjow, I just wanted to say that I… I won't leave you." he said softly, referring to the statement Grimmjow made on the roof earlier that morning._

" _Kurosaki-"_

" _I mean, if you want me to be your friend, I will! Okay? …I won't abandon you."_

End Flashback

Ichigo's pace slowed incredibly when he remembered those words. His exact words.

They had been spoken so long ago, but remembering them felt like he had said them just yesterday.

How could he have allowed himself to be manipulated into doing the thing he always said he wouldn't do?

That question plagued him until he reached the garden full of memories. In some way, he felt like he had also abandoned it as well.

After hoping it would be forgiving to him, he entered.

It was a little larger than he last remembered it, but it held the same nostalgic feeling of the crush he had on Grimmjow that had blossomed into a love stronger than he knew could exist.

A feeling bubbled in the pit of his stomach making him rethink lunch altogether. This was definitely not a good idea.

"Kurosaki-san?"

Ichigo turned when he heard his name being called by Unohana.

"Good afternoon, Unohana-san."

"What are you doing here in the garden?" she asked.

"I'm meeting someone here. Don't worry, we're not going to wreck anything, I promise." he smiled.

"Your reputation would suggest otherwise, but I can see beneath that tough exterior. Men and their ways are such a mystery…"

"Unohana-san…"

"Yes?"

Ichigo stood in place and considered asking her for some adult advice on his situation. Then he realized she would probably send him to the school counselor if he told her about what had gone on between Ginjo and himself. It was probably a good idea not to mention him.

"I need some advice…"

"Alright dear. What is it you'd like help with?"

"Well, I want to ask this sincerely… And you don't need to answer if you don't want to."

"What is it?"

He decided to focus on the most painful aspect of the entire situation, "…Have you ever made a promise to someone that you weren't able to keep?"

"Believe it or not, I have. I certainly won't go into details, but the heartache I felt from not being able to keep my promise made me feel less than human...so to speak..."

"You don't say…" the boy commented, feeling worse than ever now.

How many times had he promised Grimmjow that he wouldn't abandon him? Too many to recall…

What did the man think of him now that he had broken that promise? Couldn't be anything good huh?

"But you know, it's never too late to redeem yourself from whatever it is you're going through." Unohana walked over to the boy and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "You're a good person, I can tell that just by looking at you. If you didn't intentionally break your promise, then don't let it trouble you so gravely. There's always a future that has yet to be written. Redeem your promise if it's within your power. I'm sure you can do it."

Ichigo listened to Unohana and for once in these past few weeks, he didn't feel as low as he had. He was immediately glad he had talked to her. She really gave him a different outlook on the situation.

Maybe it wasn't too late to make amends. But there was nothing that could be done so long as Ginjo was continuously blackmailing him.

How could he ever go back on an oath he made on his mother's name? She would probably never forgive him if he did…

Unohana smiled, "Take care of yourself, Kurosaki-san."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I can see that faint bruise on your cheek."

"Oh… That. Heh, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. And thank you for your advice, Unohana-san. It really…changed things… I appreciate your help."

Unohana shook her head letting the boy know it was no problem at all.

After remembering that Ichigo was expecting someone, she decided to save watering the rest of the plants for later. There was probably someone in the infirmary in need of attention anyway. With the thought of helping someone in mind, Unohana left the garden and headed to the infirmary. Who knows, maybe Isane and Hanataro could handle things on their own.

Ichigo walked over to one of the benches and took a seat before gazing up at the sky through the glass roof.

After speaking with Unohana, for some reason the world seemed a little brighter. It was probably because she had told him, without actually telling him, that it wasn't too late to keep his promise to Grimmjow. It wasn't too late to save...well, what they had…

And that thought…made him happy.

But Ginjo had to come and ruin everything. Poor Grimmjow had no idea what was going on. He had basically become a simple pawn in Ginjo's game of "take whatever the hell I want however I can get it".

That was so unfair.

But if he wanted Ichigo to be his fiancé, he would make life more complicated and difficult as he possibly could. Maybe then he'd give up the idea of them being married.

" _What a horrible idea…"_  he thought.

"Yo, Kurosaki!"

Said boy glanced in the direction his name was being called from.

"Hey, Grimmjow."

"Man, this place got bigger since the last time I was in here." The bluenette commented in slight awe as he made his way further into the lush garden.

"You noticed too, huh? I think they may have knocked down the wall and taken over the empty classroom that used to be next door."

"Think so?"

"Yeah, I can't think of any other possible explanation."

Grimmjow turned his attention from the plants to the boy sitting just ahead of him now. He sat down next to him and gazed directly ahead to the walkways just outside.

"So you decided where you wanna go? I figured you wouldn't want to eat the crappy food in the cafeteria." He said.

Ichigo ignored his words, his attention too focused on the noticeable bruise he could now see on the man's forehead.

"Are you okay? Did you have that checked out?" he asked, remembering how he hadn't helped him with it due to his hasty retreat.

Grimmjow turned to the boy and smirked, "I'm not a pussy. I can take being hit."

"Oh whatever! This'll be the last time I worry about you."

"How about you? I know that pretty little mug you got was swollen for a while."

"Oh, yeah. And my dad was imagining all kinds of crazy things about it. Yuzu nearly cried."

"Sorry I couldn't stop it from happening."

Ichigo turned a sympathetic gaze at the man beside him, "Don't be. I jumped in knowing what could've happened. I'm just sorry I couldn't help you out more."

"You did fine."

"But  _you_  told me I just got in the way. Remember?"

"I lied. Get over it."

"You…you-"

"Baka."

"Aho baka!"

Grimmjow smirked and then slowly brought his hand up to the boy's face before laying it on his previously bruised cheek.

Ichigo turned and looked him dead in the eyes.

"Kurosaki-"

"Grimm, don't…please…"

The larger man grinned and slapped the other's cheek twice in an affectionate manner, "Let's get out of this place. It's bringing back memories and you clearly don't wanna go down that road anymore."

"Yeah… Where do you wanna eat?"

"We'll decide once we're in the car."

"Aye aye, captain."

* * *

After careful consideration, and finally being able to agree on a restaurant, Ichigo and Grimmjow found themselves in the private booth of a sushi bar.

Ichigo himself was not fond of sushi, he had actually not eaten it often, but Grimmjow was in love with it. Might as well give him this satisfaction since he could give him none of any other kind.

"Ready to order, princess?"

The orange haired boy glared from behind his menu at the man sitting across the table from him.

"Your balls are in range of my foot just so you know."

"Interested in my balls, Kurosaki?"

"Only in hurting them when you're being annoying and immature."

"I'd love to see you try-"

"Excuse me for intruding," a waitress interrupted, "It's just been a while since we brought out the menus. Are you both ready to order or will you need another moment?"

"Beat it-"

"We're ready." Ichigo said, interrupting Grimmjow.

"Um, okay. What will you be having today?" she asked after taking out a pen and small notepad.

"Everything sounds really appetizing, but I think I'll go with the grilled boneless short ribs and shumai please."

"What drink would you like with that?"

"Oh, a coke please."

"Yuck." Grimmjow commented under his breath.

"And for you sir? What can we make for you?" she asked.

Blue eyes turned back to the menu, "Yes, I'll have the beef carpaccio, a side of yakitori, and two egg rolls please. A Dr. Pepper with that would be nice."

"Alright. I'll be back with your orders momentarily." The girl smiled before leaving.

"So, have you been seeing anyone since we split up?" Ichigo asked, curiosity on the matter reaching its absolute peak.

"Nah, I'm not interested in any of the girls around and the gay guys all seem to be fucking whores."

"Fucking whores? Really now?"

"Don't call me on my profanity, Kurosaki. You know exactly what I meant."

"Just wanted to mess with you." The boy smiled.

"Anyway, don't think I'm giving up on you so easily. I know we're just friends for now, but I want more than that with you. And if I have to move the stars or the ground beneath my feet, I'm gonna make it happen."

Inwardly, Ichigo was glad to hear that. He was glad to know that Grimmjow hadn't moved on and was still pursuing him as selfish as that seemed.

It meant there was still a chance of them being together by some miracle or stroke of luck.

"Here are your drinks."

Earlier, the waitress had taken a good look at this blue haired man who was showing little to no interest in her and now wondered if she should slip him her phone number.

"Can I get wasabi with my meal please?" Grimmjow asked.

"Of course! I'll be right back with your orders." The girl said hurriedly.

Without wasting any time, she headed to the kitchen to retrieve the meals.

After almost tripping with the plates, she hurried back over to the men and placed the foods down as gently as she could.

"Thank you, miss." Ichigo smiled.

"Thanks." Grimmjow uttered.

After the girl had left, both men turned to their food.

"Itadakimasu!" the bluenette said, letting the food take his mind away from his troubles.

Before he began eating, Ichigo asked a question, "Grimmjow, why are you being so dismissive to the waitress?"

"Because I'm not interested in her."

"Really? How do you know  _she's_  interested in  _you_?"

"Because she slipped me her number." The man said, putting his chopsticks down and lifting a small piece of paper between his index and middle fingers.

"You should give her a chance. Chasing after me won't get you-"

"Let's enjoy our meal, Kurosaki."

"…Right..."

* * *

In the cafeteria back at the school, Rukia flipped through her manga as she avoided listening to Chizuru going on about Inoue dating.

She had just found out earlier that Inoue had started dating that Shishigawara fellow and was not taking it so well.

Purple eyes glanced over to the girl, still complaining. It was hard to read with all the noise.

"Orihime! I'm serious! Why would you wanna date a bad boy from…Fullbring High school…? You'd be better off with m-"

"Honsho, what are you going on about?" Tatsuki asked before sitting down with her plate.

"Hi Tatsuki-chan!" Inoue smiled.

"Hey Orihime."

"Tatsuki, even though we don't agree on most things, we can agree on this: Inoue shouldn't be dating that Sushi…Shishigawara guy!"

"Dating? Orihime, you're dating someone?"

"Mhmm! You met him on the tour of XCUTION."

"You mean that baka who was unbelievable rude to you?"

"He's not so terrible. He's actually really nice to me now… And I think he's kind of scared of Kurosaki-kun and Abarai-kun so I trust he won't do anything bad."

Senna sighed. Rukia didn't miss it either.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

The purple haired girl smiled innocently, "Nah, I'm fine."

"Why don't I believe that…?"

"Ichigo has the strangest friends…"

"And you're one of us. So what's with that reaction to Ichigo's name?"

"…It's…it's nothing…"

"Doesn't sound like nothing."

"Rukia, damn you! So perceptive and inquisitive."

"Come on, we'll talk about it in the library." The smaller girl said before putting her book away and standing.

"Sure…"

Ishida stood from the table when he saw the girls leaving. He had overheard their conversation although they were speaking quietly with each other…not to mention Honsho and Tatsuki's arguing which made it even harder... The subject had somewhat sparked his interest a little.

With one last glance to the chatting girls at the table, Senna followed Rukia out of the cafeteria. She thought it had been a decent lunch because Renji was stuck in the office with the guidance counselor. At least she was able to eat in peace for once.

After getting to and entering the library, she led Rukia to one of the aisles and pretended to be looking for a book.

"So what's going on? Are you mad at Ichigo?"

"No…I just saw him doing something and I'm not sure if I should be concerned…"

"What might that have been?" Rukia asked curiously.

"Well… I saw him get into a car with Ginjo with his booksack late one night. I'm not sure what to think of it…"

"You think he might be cheating on Grimmjow?"

The taller girl, not by much though, stopped her false searching and crossed her arms, "No… that's not like Ichigo at all."

"On a similar note, I have noticed he's been acting a little detached lately. But when I asked him if he was okay, he assured me he was fine."

"So it's not just me!?" the girl screeched, completely ignoring how Renji had asked her about the matter earlier.

"Keep it down…we're in a library..."

"Home of the nerds." Senna joked.

Ishida, who was standing just one aisle over, adjusted his glasses. This was definitely not news to him. Well, the part about the CEO of XCUTION picking up Ichigo was, but Ichigo's overall behavior as of late was noticeably different.

"What do you think we should do, Rukia? You're like, his best friend right? You'd know what to do better than anyone."

Rukia sighed and leaned against the shelves, "For now, we shouldn't do anything. If Ichigo needs us, he'll come to us. Don't think he didn't learn anything from that whole deal with Aizen."

"Hm, speaking of Aizen, do you think he took Inoue with some ulterior motives?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, maybe he knew something about her we didn't…"

"Like?"

"I don't know… But what I really think is that she's a princess and he may have found out."

Rukia shook her head, "I doubt that."

"He could have asked for ransom or even been plotting to kill her and her royal family."

"Senna, that's a bit of a stretch… A lot of a stretch really."

"Fine. I'll drop the matter for now…"

"You're watching too much anime. Probably more than me."

Ishida slid the book he had feign reading back into its shelf. Having heard all that he needed to hear, he took his leave accordingly. No point in staying when his source of information was getting off topic. What an interesting bit of information though.

" _Gonna do this on your own, huh Kurosaki?"_  he thought.

He at least hoped that Kuchiki was right. After the mess with Aizen, hopefully he could handle things appropriately. Though, their orange haired friend could be a tad dense sometimes…

* * *

Ichigo couldn't have been more impressed to see Grimmjow eat most of his meal with the wasabi as though it was nothing at all.

That kind of attitude was probably the result of him having drunk two full glasses of his drink. Now that he was out of it, his eyes wandered across the table to Ichigo's.

"Hey Grimmjow, why are you eating so much?"

"Because I have work at two and thanks to coming here I won't have time to go home and eat." The man replied with a mouthful of yakitori.

"Oh…"

"I have to drop you off at your place too so my time is stretched."

"Why did you want to come to lunch if you knew it would press you for time? Baka."

"Because I wanted to spend some time with my favorite strawberry."

Ichigo blushed, "Don't call me that…"

"Straw-be-rry." The man said while reaching for another stick of yakitori.

"Urusai you…you blueberry!"

Grimmjow paused from lifting his food and stared at the boy, "What?"

"Blue-be-rry."

"Don't lay that girly shit on me!"

"Now you know how it feels! And how can you eat so much with wasabi on it!? Stop being such a baka!"

Blue eyes turned to the cup of soda still full across the table. Ichigo had ordered coke, but he had a point. His own drink was completely depleted.

"Since you care so much, guess you'll share your drink with me." He said, swiping the glass and sipping from the straw.

"Grimmjow you jerk!"

After drinking more than half of the boy's soda, said man sat the glass back down on the table and started eating his other dish. At least he had run out of wasabi.

Ichigo was pretty angry though. How imposing and annoying. If he didn't want to keep ordering drinks then he shouldn't have ordered so much wasabi!

" _Jerk…"_  he thought.

Then his eyes moved from the man eating slightly aggressively to the drink he had just attacked.

He was apparently still comfortable sharing drinks, that much was clear. That kind of unnerved the boy. Even something as small as that led to the inevitable thoughts about what used to be.

Grimmjow's lips had graced the straw no matter how he looked at it. Not only them, but his teeth too. The asshole had bitten the straw…

"If you're not gonna finish the drink I will." The bluenette said, looking up from his meal.

"No!" Ichigo stated firmly.

He snatched the drink from the table and drank it. The thing that would always somehow exist between them was the urge not to lose to the other.

And the last thing he wanted was to give Grimmjow the satisfaction of bullying him out of things.

"Hey, Kurosaki."

"What?"

"If you're uncomfortable around me, I won't force you to hang out with me."

"What makes you think that?"

"You seem pretty disgusted right now. And you've been that way since we got here. If my behavior-"

"Stop talking, Grimmjow. I'm not…I'm not uncomfortable… Despite your behavior, you're a good person. That's why I'm still here. If I didn't like being around you, I would have turned you down on this offer."

"And you don't care that I'm trying to get you back?"

"I-"

"Excuse meee!" the waitress from earlier smiled as she walked over to the two, "Are you enjoying your meal? If not, let us know! Our manager is doing all he can to have happy customers who want to come back."

Grimmjow eyed the girl angrily. Ichigo noticed this and smiled back at her, "We're fine! Thanks so much for your hospitality. We're about to leave, but your service was excellent."

"Well alright. Thank you for dining with us today for lunch. Hope to see you again." With one last glance at the blue haired man, the waitress bowed and left the men with the tab.

"I  _should_  make you pay for my drink." Ichigo joked.

The other didn't respond. He was upset. That waitress had just completely ruined the moment and he wasn't sure if asking Ichigo again would warrant any response. After all, he seemed not to mind that she had interrupted him.

"You okay?" the brown eyed boy asked.

Grimmjow snapped out of his daze, "Y-yeah. Let me handle the bill."

"Why?"

"Because you're my strawberry and I wanna take care of you."

Ichigo squinted, "I have money, Grimm."

"Then save it."

"I don't need to be pampered you know."

"I always take care of what's mine."

Ichigo stood from the table and made his way to the door. Honestly, why did everyone think he was so helpless?

He exited the restaurant and sighed. Why be so mad at Grimmjow? He was just trying to be a good friend…or ex-boyfriend… It was Ginjo who was stepping over the line with his insistence to be a provider. Honestly, he should just adopt a bunch of kids if that was the case.

Looking up to the clear sky, he wondered where the man was anyway. How long would he be gone? Would he return?

And more importantly, who the hell was that man with the black hair who had confronted him that time?

"Kurosaki."

Ichigo turned when he heard his name called, "Did you tip the waitress?"

"That's not important. I have a more interesting question for you." Ichigo watched as the breath flowed out of Grimmjow's mouth in the cold air.

"What's that?"

"Do you wanna catch a movie with me later? I have work til nine, but that's a good time to see one."

"I'm curious… Does reaching for the stars knowing full well you'll never be able to reach one entertain you, Grimmjow?"

The man did not respond to this question.

"No answer?"

"No, it's not that I'll never be able to reach one. I know full well this particular star will fall to me because I'm not giving up on it. And if it doesn't fall to me, which I'm sure it will, I'll jump to space, grab it, and live with it in its stardust."

Ichigo's eyes widened for a moment. He was speechless. This man was not planning to give up on him anytime soon that much was clear.

"Back to  _my_  question, do you want to see a movie with me tonight?"

"…Fine… We can see a movie."

Outwardly, Ichigo feigned indifference but inwardly he was smiling. Perhaps this time apart was what he needed to realize that Grimmjow had been more than just his attractive lover. Because right now, he seemed like a best friend.

He followed the man and watched him closely as they made their way back to his car. He really looked nice with a trim. His style was the same as it had always been, but it was somehow refreshing. His walk was confident as always and hinted to his personality.

All at once, he realized how much he missed him.

The ringing of his cell phone caused him to jump. After realizing it was after lunch time he  _knew_  who it was.

"Are you gonna answer your phone?" Grimmjow asked.

"Nah, I already know who it is… I have to get to work or my boss will probably come and find me."

"Huh?" a confused look was all the bluenette could give to that statement.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be off after five so we'll still be able to see that movie."

"Okay. Do you wanna go home or…I can drop you off at work."

"Take me home. I can't go in my school uniform, silly blueberry."

"Whatever you say, sexy strawberry."

"…After that line, you'd better pick a really good movie…" the boy smiled.


	19. Inextinguishable Blaze

Monday around four thirty.

Ikumi Unagiya was not one to take a person's shit. When it came to the boy she had hired, Ichigo Kurosaki, she for some reason put up with a lot more from him.

He was late more than he should have been, he missed a day or two here and there. But he seemed to have his reasons…sometimes.

She walked over to the front desk where he was now seated.

"Any calls since earlier?" she asked.

"You mean the one where the old woman had me climb up onto her roof to get a cat? Or the one where I had to crawl around in that man's floorboards to get a toothbrush?"

"Are you being snarky with me?" she asked.

" _Of course_  not."

"You know what, why don't you go on home and take tomorrow off. I'll be too busy with Kaoru to run things here. I think you could use an  _authorized_  vacation."

"But if I do that I'll have most of my whole work week off… I can't work Wednesday or Thursday because of the camping trip."

"Oh, that's right… Hm, well, if you can handle things on your own that'd be great. I know you want to save up your money so I guess I'll give you the keys."

"Okay. I'll lock the door and leave them on the counter when I leave."

"Well, I'm closing early today so you'd probably better get going."

"Gotcha." Ichigo smiled and stood from his stool.

With one last glance back at Ikumi, he left the building and headed home.

* * *

Karin and Yuzu stood in the doorway to Ichigo's room. When he had arrived home, he said he was going out tonight. Upon hearing that, they couldn't help their curiosity about where he was heading.

They watched him as he decided what he would wear to wherever it was he was going. The two had asked him when he first started going through his closet but he told them he wasn't going anywhere special.

"Are you two still watching me?" he asked.

"We're trying to figure out where you're going." Karin said.

"I told you two it's nothing special."

Ichigo wasn't trying to be insensitive on the matter. That was the last thing he really wanted to do. He was simply going to see a movie with a friend. That friend just so happened to be Grimmjow. It wasn't a date or anything so he treated it as though it was 'nothing special'.

Saying that allowed him to stay dejected from the fact that he did actually want to be going out on a date with the man. But as long as he was to be engaged to Ginjo, there was no way he could allow for that kind of thinking.

"Then why do you have some of your nicest outfits on the bed?" Karin asked.

"Oh! Are you going to help Grimmjow study? Or are you two going on a date?" Yuzu asked with a smile.

"No..."

The two girls were acting as though everything was normal. He had forgotten that Yuzu, Karin, his father, and no one else he could think of knew that he and Grimmjow were broken up. They didn't even seem to suspect something was amiss when he stopped coming over on the weekends.

Then again, he was out of the house for some of those days with the others so maybe his family just assumed he was with him.

Regardless, he was doing a good job at keeping the mess with Grimmjow and Ginjo a secret. So he thought.

Karin walked into the room and picked up one of the shirts from the bed, "I like this one."

"Let me help too!" Yuzu chirped.

"You guys-"

"Put that one back in the closet, Yuzu! It's too preppy." Karin insisted.

"Right! I'll get that white sweater and his coat!"

"What about this scarf?"

"Get that too! It's cold outside!"

Ichigo gave up. One thing he'd always know about Yuzu and Karin was they were insistent on being involved in his life…which wasn't a bad thing when he considered it. But some privacy from time to time would have been nice.

* * *

Neliel bounced excitedly through the hallway of the Jaegerjaques mansion until she reached Grimmjow's door.

She noticed that it was partly open. That usually meant he was getting ready to go somewhere.

"He just got home from work like ten minutes ago… I wonder where he's going this late…"

When she heard the sound of a belt being put on, she couldn't help but peek in.

Grimmjow was dressed to kill. He was wearing a collared navy blue shirt that was buttoned up to his chest. With a pair of dark blue jeans that seemed like skinnies and a pair of gray boots to finish the ensemble. For the weather, he picked up a black coat with studs around the pockets and fur on the hood and bottom hem.

The last thing she noticed was the accessories he was wearing: a ring on his right hand and a skull necklace hanging appropriately around his neck.

"Is that…a hint of blue eyeliner?" she asked.

When the man grabbed his wallet and keys, she scurried to the kitchen and dug around in the refrigerator as though she was about to make something to eat.

"Hey, Neliel," Grimmjow began as he walked through the house to the garage.

"What is it?"

"I know it'll be hard for you to do this, but don't follow me."

"I'm appalled! As if I'D follow YOU!" the girl retorted before sticking out her tongue.

"Whatever. I'm out. Don't wait up either." the bluenette said as he opened the back door.

"Have fun on your  _date_."

When Grimmjow quickly turned and looked at her her, she swiftly stuck her head back down and continued rumbling through the fridge.

But she did hope he would have fun, wherever he was going.

* * *

From the busy sidewalks and crowds of downtown Karakura, Ichigo emerged and arrived at the theater he and Grimmjow had decided to go to.

Dressed in a white flannel shirt, a thick gray cardigan, and a French gray colored scarf, he felt a little overdressed. But it was Karin and Yuzu's doing so he didn't have any control over the matter. The only thing he did choose was the necklace with a fifteen on the face of the small pendant that dangled from it.

As he made his way over to one of the theater benches, he couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. The reason behind that anxiety was simple. He felt like he was going on a date with Grimmjow. And although they had established this was simply an activity between friends, he couldn't help the lingering thoughts of romanticism.

This man was someone who he had loved, cherished, laughed with, fought with, introduced to his family and friends, and most importantly, survived a hellish experience with.

They had been naked together, made passionate love together, slept together, and so many other precious things that they both enjoyed doing.

How could Ginjo expect him to just up and forget someone like that? He knew nothing of what happened between them, no matter what his sources told him. The only way he could know anything about them was if he had lie dormant inside one of them. Otherwise, he had no business interfering and saying what happiness was for him.

Ginjo was like an anchor. One that was heavy on what had been between him and Grimmjow, pulling them into a dark abyss.

Grimmjow was also like an anchor. One that was heavy on his heart because of letting him down, but he was also keeping him grounded in this world. He was truthfully keeping him from drifting into sadness and complete boredom with his spontaneity.

How could he go on with two anchors like this? One of them had to be relinquished to the ocean below. Luckily for Grimmjow, the boy had no intention of hanging on to Ginjo.

"I'll hold out until I find an answer  _for you_ , Grimm… Until I can break this promise without dishonoring my mom that is…" he spoke, watching as his breath was exposed in the colder atmosphere.

What would she think if she were alive now? What would she do about this situation? How would she react to him being with men in the first place?

So many questions raced through his mind when he thought of his loving mother. Honestly, he wished she was here now. Then he wouldn't be going through any of this.

"Kurosaki!" Grimmjow called.

Ichigo turned and saw the man getting out of his car. The man of his dreams that is.

"Hey, Grimm." He smiled, hiding his earlier mental turmoil.

"Why didn't you call me? I could've picked you up!"

"No, it's fine. I enjoyed the walk. It gave me time to think about some things…"

"Well let's get out of this fucking weather. I hate the cold."

The orange haired boy smiled and followed the man, "Did you pick a movie?"

"I thought we'd do that together."

The shorter male stopped dead in his tracks. Was this…the same person he had known all this time?

"Are you…are you really Grimmjow Jaegerjaques?"

"Huh? What a stupid question…"

"Oh, I see. You're just trying to convince me that you've changed… Very crafty…"

"Kurosaki, what the hell are you on?"

"…Sorry… It's just…weird that you want to make a decision together."

"Well, we're not 'together' anymore. I only have so much control over you now, baka. I admit I don't like this…being nice crap…but I have to be this way to keep you around."

The best description for the feeling in Ichigo's stomach was probably a hurricane or a tornado or some kind of twister filled to the brim with butterflies. This wasn't the same delinquent he had met last year. This was a man…delinquent more or less still there.

When Grimmjow flashed a grin in his direction, Ichigo subtly turned away to hide the intense glow of his cheeks.

He was now completely warmed up now thanks to the blue haired musclehead despite the decreasing temperature the night had taken.

"Got diarrhea, Kurosaki? I did at work today…It was so annoying… I figure it must've been the lunch."

And just like that, the butterflies were swept away. That was for the best right now anyway. No way could he stand to be in this theater with Grimmjow for two hours with feelings of that kind.

"I'm fine. And don't tell me stuff like that…It's repulsive."

"If not you then who?"

"Shut up…"

"I'm teasing you, don't be so serious."

"Oh…"

"But I  _did_  have diarrhea today."

Ichigo turned and quickly walked ahead of the man to the counter.

"Oh, come on, Kurosaki!"

The person inside the ticket booth looked up from his cell phone, "Which movie?"

Grimmjow caught up to the boy and grinned, "What movie do you want to see?"

"I thought we were doing this together."

"We are. Pick one and I'll tell you if it's okay."

"Some teamwork…"

The man in the booth raised an eyebrow as the two debated on which movie to see. "Are-are you two on a date…?" he asked.

"It's not a date!" both answered quickly.

Grimmjow eyed all the movies and debated with Ichigo which one they'd see.

"Let's see the comedy."

"Fine." Ichigo said, ready to just  _see_  a movie.

"That'll be sixteen dollars and fifty cents."

Ichigo slapped Grimmjow's hand when he pulled money from his wallet to give to the guy.

"I got this."

"Che, take it then."

The ticket seller blinked a few times. It was really hard to see these two as dating the way they argued. But he had noticed them when they first came in. The way they acted then would make anyone believe they were together.

"E-enjoy the movie." He said hesitantly as they left.

* * *

Upon discovering a near empty theater for the movie they had picked, Grimmjow childishly ran through the seat aisles as Ichigo climbed to the top row.

He took off his sweater and as he glanced down at the man, wondering what made him so strange. Sometimes he was as serious as a heart attack, the next he was vulgar, other times he was bent on working out, and then he was immature.

One thing was for sure though, he would always be unique in that way. Which is why Ichigo was so interested in him. He needed this release of adult behavior. He needed Grimmjow's friendship if nothing more.

He began laughing hysterically when the man tripped over one of his feet and fell onto one of the seats.

"It's not fucking funny!"

When he saw Grimmjow holding his face, he got much more serious.

"Are you okay?" he asked through stifled laughter.

"No, I broke my fucking face!"

"Sir, there are children in this theater!" a woman in one of the lower rows angrily spoke.

"Can it-"

"We're sorry! Let's go into the hallway for a minute, Grimm." Ichigo said after walking down to him. When he got the taller man into the better lit area, he placed his hand gently on his chin. "Do you want to go? If you're really hurt we can-"

"It's my lip, I think I busted it."

"Really? Let me see."

Ichigo got closer to Grimmjow's lips and pulled the lower one down. He didn't really see anything wrong with it so he tried the upper one. Again, nothing wrong with it.

"You sure you didn't just hurt your pride? I don't see anything wrong with your lips."

Grimmjow pulled away, "I'm okay now…Let's get back to into the theater…"

"But…ugh, fine."

" _Could've made a move…but I don't wanna ruin the night."_  The bluenette thought regrettably.

The woman down in front flipped the birdie at Grimmjow when he walked back in. He stood and stared at her for a moment in shock and disbelief and then nearly ran over to her to show her what real pain was, but Ichigo held him back.

"Don't get us kicked out of here!"

"You got lucky tonight, crone! You got lucky!"

"Go fall down a well, brat!"

"Your kids are ugly anyway!" he retorted as Ichigo dragged him back to their original spot on the top row of seats.

"Grimmjow, are you sure this was a good idea?"

"Yes, that old heifer just got a little under my skin is all."

The orange haired boy chuckled at that, "Well, forget her. The movie is starting." He smiled.

And so it did. Grimmjow's attention was immediately drawn into it.

But Ichigo was too focused on  _him_  to know what was going on. His arm right next to his own on the armrest. His laugh obnoxious and echoing through the room.

The undying urge to hold the man's larger hand kept tugging at his thoughts, but he couldn't. That wasn't what this was.

When their arms touched though, Grimmjow nearly fought him for rights to the armrest. It was childish, but fun.  _That's_  what it was.

After spending so much time apart, Ichigo realized that they were still able to have fun together, even during a foolish spat. He inevitably gave up and withdrew his arm, wanting to just be able to lean over on the other's powerful shoulder, but he knew he'd best not.

After winning the armrest for himself, Grimmjow turned and caught the boy looking a few times. He brushed it off as discontent about his laughter though. Kurosaki must've thought he was too immature to date again. But a challenge was a challenge. He certainly wasn't giving up anytime soon.

Once the movie was over, the two left the theater, neither really wanting to call it a night.

"What do you want to do now?" Ichigo asked.

"I wanna eat something." The bluenette responded, watching the breath escape from his mouth right in front of him.

"Well, you tell me what's open at eleven o'clock at night and we'll go."

Smelling another challenge, Grimmjow brought his hand up to his chin in thought. It took some time, but he wasn't giving up on the chance to make the night memorable. Then he had the perfect idea. Kurosaki wouldn't see this coming because the memory of that day had probably vanished by now.

"I know where to go."

"Why do I not like that look in your eyes…?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

* * *

"Can I take this off now?" Ichigo asked.

He was completely clueless because Grimmjow had blindfolded him by tossing his coat over his face once they had gotten into the car.

"Just keep the coat over your head. And  _don't_  peek!"

"Are you trying to smother me?"

"I could've easily done that by now, Kurosaki. Calm down."

Ichigo sighed. His stomach was now letting it be known how in need of sustenance it was. He realized now that he should have eaten something before he left out for this movie trip. His excitement, however, had gotten the better of him. Can you blame him?

He sat in silence, wondering what Grimmjow had up his sleeve for the entirety of the car ride, which was quite long for someone who had nothing to look at but the inside of a coat.

Once the car came to a stop and the engine was shut off, he turned in the direction he knew the other was in, "Can I take this coat off now?" he asked.

Grimmjow reached over and pulled the coat off the boy's head.

The first thing Ichigo saw was Grimmjow's smirking face, and then he turned and noticed where they had traveled to.

"Is this…?"

"Yup. It's the sub shop we went to a while ago before I first left for Tokyo."

"Why come all the way out here?"

"I thought it'd be cool to visit again."

"Really now? You sure you're not just trying to mess with Senna? Because she's off right now so she's not even here."

"Shut up and let's go in..." Honestly, he wasn't  _always_  trying to pester that girl.

Without retaliation, Ichigo unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car. Grimmjow walked over to him and guided him into the shop with his arm wrapped around him to protect him from the cold and angry winds.

"Thanks…" the shorter boy said once they had gotten inside.

An older woman behind the cash register noticed the way they came into the restaurant and smiled.

When they walked up to the counter, she asked them what they'd be ordering tonight.

Grimmjow told Ichigo that he'd place the orders since he knew him so well, so Ichigo decided he would go take a seat.

On his way to the tables, he stopped when a picture on the bulletin board caught his eye. He walked up to it and paused.

It was the picture of him and Grimmjow that that girl had taken here on their last day of summer before it was time for them to part ways. He smiled at both of their clueless expressions and turned to the man at the counter.

Although he was just getting a glimpse of the back of Grimmjow's head, he couldn't help but blush.

" _That clever grease monkey… I wonder if he did this on purpose…"_

Ichigo pulled out his phone and opened his camera application. After snapping a picture of the picture, he put his phone back to sleep and put it away. No need to lead Grimmjow on by letting him see something like that.

Once that was done, the orange haired boy took a seat by a window with the blinds open so a clear view of the moonlit ocean could be seen.

This was far too romantic. It made him wonder if Grimmjow had planned all of this out or if it was just the universe at work.

Either way, this had turned out to be a pretty lovely evening.

"Hey, they were out of Coke so I got you a Dr. Pepper instead." Grimmjow smirked when he took a seat with the food.

"Ugh, you know I don't drink that stuff…"

"I'm kidding. Sheesh, lighten up!"

He handed Ichigo his drink and meal and then started eating his own.

Ichigo opened his sandwich and noticed it was the same one he got every single time he came to this restaurant: a foot long, Italian Herbs and Cheese breaded, chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayonnaise, and a pinch of salt to finish it off.

He honestly didn't know how to react. Grimmjow had paid that much attention to him? They didn't even eat subs together that often. It could do nothing other than make him realize how much Grimmjow truly cared about him.

As he gazed inconspicuously at the man across the table from him, it seemed like he wasn't even paying him any attention. He was also enjoying the view from the furled up blinds.

"Grimmjow."

"Huh?" said man asked with a mouthful of Meatball Marinara.

"You…you still have feelings for me, right?"

"Duh, baka. How could I just suddenly stop caring about you just because you broke up with me?"

"I…don't know… I'm sorry for asking that…"

"Are you enjoying your meal?"

"Oh, yeah! It's my favorite sandwich…the same one I always order gives that away, huh?"

"Glad I could please you tonight."

"Uh, we should probably go soon… I have homework I need to take care of…"

"Right. Same here."

The two finished their meal almost completely in silence. Ichigo effectively addressed the elephant in the room and thus, created some unwelcome tension.

Honestly, he didn't know why he asked that question. It kind of just came out on its own.

" _Way to make it awkward…"_  he thought, trying to avoid Grimmjow's gaze when it landed on him.

* * *

When Grimmjow's car came to a halt in front of the Kurosaki clinic, he turned to Ichigo.

"I had a pretty decent time with you tonight. We should do something like this together more often."

"Yeah…" the orange haired boy sighed.

Although his house was right there, he couldn't help but want to stay with Grimmjow for the night. Unfortunately, things weren't the way they used to be between them anymore. Nothing good would come of him going to Grimmjow's house or letting him stay the night over.

"Kurosaki, just like I said in the restaurant, I don't think it's possible to lose feelings for someone you loved completely overnight or over a few months. I know you still love me, and I'm gonna get you back no matter what."

"…"

"I still care about you."

"Shut up, Grimmjow…" With a painful feeling in the gut of his stomach and an emotional tinge at his own heart, Ichigo got out of the car and hurried to his front door.

Grimmjow rolled down the passenger window and called out to him, "Good night, Kurosaki."

Without turning around, Ichigo opened the door and slipped inside the dark house. The tears that slid down his face surprised him. Was he really that torn up about all of this?

He leaned heavily against the front door and slid slowly to the floor. Grimmjow didn't deserve to be treated like this.

"Fucking Ginjo…!" he exclaimed in a lowered voice.

He knew going out tonight was a bad idea.


	20. Fortuitous Insight

Shortly after the brutal departure from Grimmjow…

Lying in bed late into the night, trying to think about anything but his unstable and near demolished love life, was Ichigo. He had been up listening to Final Fantasy music for about two hours now, wanting nothing more than to disappear from the world altogether. Then maybe Ginjo would  _finally_  get the hint and move on with his life.

The more he tried not to think about Grimmjow and Ginjo, the more he did just that.

" _What should I do? How can I get out of this mess? And…how can I stop hurting Grimmjow? I can't keep treating him like I have been. He means too much to me for that."_

Ignoring his texts, leaving him wounded in the park, and now having abruptly shut him out when all he had done was reach out and show his devotion to him. How much could Grimmjow take? Was he really that determined?

The whole time they've been apart, Ichigo has regretted ever having to break it off with Grimmjow. Now that he's back here in Karakura, it's even harder to deal with it.

What's worse, he'd be forced to see him every day now thanks to French class.

The boy flipped exhaustedly onto his stomach and glanced through his window to the night sky. The stars twinkled sublimely in it, the place where they were at home.

Home.

Grimmjow was home now. At the beginning of the summer, Ichigo would've done anything to have this happen; for that newly opened branch to have opened at that time. But now, seeing Grimmjow hurt over him was unlike any pain the boy had ever felt before.

"I love you, Grimmjow." He spoke aloud before burying his face into his pillow, "I love you so much it hurts me."

The reason he said what he did was because he felt as though he owed it to said man after the farewell he gave him tonight, even if he couldn't hear it.

The Theme of Love from Final Fantasy IV was the next song to play from the radio station, causing Ichigo to lift his deep brown eyes from his pillow and sigh heavily. He knew that one only too well.

"Thanks universe. That's just what I needed…" he uttered sarcastically.

* * *

Tuesday morning.

The sun shined brightly in the sky, beaming its warm rays down on Karakura. A warm front was on its way to a good majority of Japan, and many of the large town's inhabitants were ready for it.

As the other students in Miss Misato's homeroom settled into their seats to begin a new day of school, Ichigo found himself distant from them.

All of them were lucky to not have to deal with Ginjo. To not know Ginjo.

The strangest thing about him was, even without being here, he still seemed to have his undesired control over Ichigo's actions and feelings.

But then something hit him.

Who would know if he had decided to get back with Grimmjow? You can't be in two places at once and there was no telling when Ginjo would return. Maybe it was time to put this to an end and finally be happy with the right person again.

Before he completely made up his mind, he remembered Ginjo saying something about sources having gained intelligence on Grimmjow and even his occupation under Aizen. That thought alone scared him. Was he watching right now? Did he know they had been spending time together?

"Ichigo, are you okay today? You seem a little out of it." Rukia leaned over and whispered to him.

"Oh, I'm fine… Just really tired... I stayed up late doing my math homework."

"If you say so… Get more sleep at night. You can do that by doing your homework early, fool." The raven haired girl smiled.

Miss Misato burst through the classroom entrance with a great big smile on her face, "Well good morning class! Who's ready for some camping tomorrow!?"

After a few groans, and even fewer excited remarks, the woman ignored them and took a large swig from her coffee.

As soon as he remembered the trip, Ichigo realized something. He turned to Rukia questionably, "Is our class the only one going on this trip?"

"No. The other two senior classes are going too. I think it's a collaborative assignment or something. Do you even read the permission slips?"

"Yes, I do! It's just…been a while since I saw it."

Knowing what Rukia just told him made Ichigo sigh. Grimmjow was probably going on this trip too…unless he had forgotten to get his paperwork in on time, which was very, very likely.

"I need the remaining permission slips from a few of you so get those to me by five o'clock today please. Nextly, I had to book two charter buses for the trip to the airport and two more for when we arrive in Hokkaidō since going to Daisetsuzan will be a bit of a trip. And finally," Miss Misato glanced down to a clipboard before continuing, "Bring your own tents since we don't have enough for over ninety seniors."

A girl raised her hand and was acknowledged, "We're camping outside? In the cold?"

"We've already got permission to set up enough log fires to keep the area warm for the night. It's a pretty open area we're going to. The park rangers sent us photos. Besides, the weather reports say it'll be in the upper seventies starting tonight. A warm front is coming in. I think you'll all be more than toasty."

"Are we allowed to share tents if necessary?" Renji asked.

"Hm, I don't see why not. Just so long as the person you're sharing with is of the same sex as you are."

Senna noticed the redhead's scheming grin and was about to spill the beans about him and Shuhei, but he quickly snatched her phone off of her desk as soon as she raised her hand.

"Yes, Senna?"

"Hang on a sec please… Give it back, Renji!"

"Then keep your mouth shut…!" the redhead insisted, nodding towards the window next to him.

"I'm gonna get you for taking my baby hostage… And even worse, threatening to throw it out a window!" the girl hissed.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. At least after the morning announcements were over the class went back to talking for a while. No one was paying attention to these two.

* * *

After school had let out, Inoue made her way home in the warming air. She walked carefully, trying not to bump into anyone because she was spaced out thinking about Ichigo.

He had been very down lately. She couldn't help but realize it hadn't really started until they had visited XCUTION a few weeks ago.

Maybe he'd want to talk about it with her. She had something she needed to tell him anyway so she texted him and asked him to come over after he got off of work.

For now, she had someone she needed to go and see and an important matter to discuss with them.

* * *

Ichigo had locked the door to Unagiaya's and left the keys on her counter just like he promised he would. She'd be pleased to know that he did a good job holding down the fort by himself today.

Now he was heading to Inoue's. She asked him earlier via text message to come and see her as soon as he got off.

Why not? He wasn't doing anything else today besides moping around about Grimmjow. A friendly face was more than welcome to him right now.

As soon as he got to the apartment complex, Inoue rushed out of her suite and leaned over the balcony, "Hiiii Kurosaki-kun!" she waved eagerly.

Said boy smiled and waved back. He made his way up the stairs to her quickly.

Inoue met him at the entrance to her floor and walked with him back to her open door. She had indeed learned her lesson from Zommari, but she still had her door in sight so leaving it open was okay. Besides, Ichigo was here. No need to fear anything when he was around.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Ichigo asked after entering behind the girl and closing the door.

"Two things, actually. Get comfortable. I'll make some hot chocolate for you."

"Thanks."

Inoue walked into the kitchen and took out the hot chocolate mix and some marshmallows she had gotten from Rukia. The raven haired girl had a slight addiction to them so she was always willing to give some away.

When she finished making the drinks, she entered the living room and handed Ichigo a mug and held out the bag of marshmallows for him to take as many as he wanted.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh, well… I'm not sure which one to begin with…"

"Start out with the easier one to talk about."

"Hm… Well, I guess Shishigawara-kun and I breaking up is the easier one of the two."

"What? You two broke up?"

"Mhm. Just today actually. It was kind of a mutual thing. After a while of going on dates, we realized we weren't really a good fit."

"Are you okay? Did he do something he shouldn't have?"

"Oh, no. He was sweet about it. There's a chance we might date again in the future, but only if we're ready…and if he's more mature."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, he kind of wanted a bad girl. That's his dream right now. And since that isn't me, I thought it'd be best to end it."

"So when you say mature…"

"I mean when he realizes he wants someone who he could maybe settle down with, not just date for appearances. But he's a high school boy so he's not looking for something like that right now. Which is why I said in the future, it's possible we might date again."

"That's pretty mature of you."

"Think so? Haha. Thanks, Kurosaki-kun."

"I know I don't want to settle down with Gin-I mean, uh-nevermind."

"What did you say?"

"N-nothing!"

"Hmm…"

"Anyway, I'm here, and Rukia is available if you wanna talk about it."

"Actually, I'm going to spend the night over at her place. We're going to school together in the morning."

"You're taking your camping gear with you, right?"

"Of course, silly goose!"

"Well, I'm sure she'll be able to take your mind off the breakup."

"Oh, and that reminds me of the next thing I wanted to talk to you about. This may be a little personal, but I feel I need to ask…"

"Go on."

Inoue looked down uneasily to her mug and began stirring her melting marshmallows nervously before beginning, "Well… Did you…breakup with Jaegerjaques-kun?"

Ichigo became wide-eyed, "What makes you ask that?"

"Well, it's just that I haven't seen him around in weeks. And you never talk about him anymore… Ever… How's he doing by the way?"

"I- Grimmjow and I are just fine. I don't really know how to say it… I guess we're just giving each other some space right now… But I'm positive we'll be together after… I figure some things out..."

"Oh, that's a relief! I thought you two weren't together anymore… And that's not fair because he makes you so happy."

"What?"

"What do you mean, 'what'? Everyone can tell you're much happier when he's around. Even if you argue and fight, you're still having a good time with him. And even Abarai-kun can see you have a lot of fun with him."

Ichigo sat in downright disbelief. He didn't realize he was so much more different when he was with Grimmjow. If even Renji admitted it, it must've been true. He certainly wouldn't lie about things involving Grimmjow.

"Inoue… thanks... I mean it. You really helped me clear some things up. I know what makes me happiest now."

"I'm happy to help you, Kurosaki-kun. And don't let the space between you two get too big. I'm sure whatever problems you're having you can solve." The girl smiled warmly before sipping her drink.

It seemed the universe was telling him not to give up just yet. First Unohana and now Inoue? It was definitely a sign.

" _Who'll be next?"_  he wondered.

"Want to watch a movie?" Inoue asked.

"Yeah, what do you have?"

The girl smiled and crawled over to her bookcase before looking through her collection.

Ichigo watched her, all the while truly glad he had come over.

* * *

Neliel ran her fingers smoothly through her long, silky hair as she made her way out of the donut shop in downtown Karakura.

She was on her way to see Grimmjow at work and bring him some dinner, but she had forgotten to eat before she left the house. Those wonderful, heavenly pastries solved that problem in no time.

As she crossed the street, she couldn't help but notice the familiar orange spikes atop Ichigo's head.

"Ichigoooooooooo!" she shouted merrily.

Said boy turned around and smiled when he saw Neliel sprinting to meet him.

"Hey Nel."

"Hey! How's it going? Haven't seen you over at our house in a while! Hiding from my brother?"

"Thanks universe…" the boy commented sarcastically under his breath.

"Huh?" big hazel eyes blinked in confusion a few times.

"Oh…nothing. What are you up to?"

The girl smiled innocently, "Nothing really, just got something to deliver."

"Oh. What are you delivering?"

"Nothing special…"

"Hm, where is what you're taking?"

"In my booksack. And no peeking."

"Do you need me to go with you?"

"Hehe, I thought you'd never ask!"

"Okay, where are you headed?"

"Follow me!" Neliel said as she skipped on ahead of the other.

"M-matte! You're leaving me, Nel!" Ichigo shouted after taking off after the girl.

* * *

Yylfordt stepped into the office of his CEO and shut the door behind him.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

The man looked up from his paperwork and then took off his reading glasses, "Indeed. Please, take a seat."

"Is there some record you need? I'll have to get it faxed from the other office since my move here was so sudden." the blonde asked.

"No, no. There's an issue I need to discuss. It's about your friend in the repair shop."

"Grimmjow?"

"Yes. It's about his current position and where I'm thinking of moving him to."

"Really? Is he in trouble?"

The man sat back in his chair and laughed, "No not at all! I'm just really impressed with his customer satisfaction and his skills as a mechanic."

"Where would you move him to then?"

"Well, I've had this position open for a while and it's worked out nicely at the other two locations of this company. It's the Executive Mechanical Engineer's spot. I've been looking and looking for someone in this town to fill the position, but I can't deny the fact that Mr. Jaegerjaques fits the bill better than any of the other engineers here. I've seen his work. He's capable of not only repairing, but damned near rebuilding a car with practically twice its efficiency. The customers love him!"

"Then why not move him now, sir?"

"Well, the thing is, I can't just move someone who's been working here for little under six months to an executive position… Not only that, but he simply hasn't had any sort of official engineering training."

"Well, I can promise you he knows exactly what he's doing. Cars, apart from sex, are the things he knows best in this world. He's been messing with them since he was fourteen. Can't you make an exception this once?" Yylfordt asked, sure of his boss's intentions.

"I can indeed. But I'm still on the fence about it. The position can remain vacant for the time being, and the other two executives will pick up the slack until it's filled. For now though, I'll monitor Mr. Jaegerjaques's skills a bit further to make sure I'm doing the right thing. Then, after the coming quarterly evaluation, if he accepts the position, I'll promote him."

"Hm…you're not telling him any of this to make sure he won't just be on his best behavior to impress you, huh?"

"Exactly. And don't you let him know anything I've just told you. I needed a confidant and you seem to know him the best so it was intuitive that I choose you to discuss this with."

"Understood. I won't breathe a word of this to him." Yylfordt stood from his chair and made to leave.

"And if things work out well with him, I'll give you a pay raise just for recommending his transfer. Had you not done so, I'd still be flipping aimlessly through resumes right now and never would've noticed how much talent he has."

"Isn't that why you hired him in the first place, sir?"

"You know what I meant. Anyway, remember to keep your lips sealed about this."

"Yes sir."

After exiting the office and closing the door, Yylfordt took a few deep breaths before he tore down the hallways of the building to the warehouse in search of Grimmjow. If he couldn't say anything,  _he'd_  make sure the man was doing his best. After all, they both had a stake in this.

* * *

"Hey fellas. Where's Grimmjow at?" Neliel asked as she entered the warehouse.

Ichigo stood at the entrance to the building. He should have guessed this was where Nel was going.

Right now, he wasn't really in the mood to see Grimmjow. He had just started to feel better about him after his chat with Inoue, but seeing him now could bring back all the pain from last night. Moreover, he didn't know how to act about the incident. Should he apologize?

"He's in…repair room six." The man Neliel assumed to be a supervisor said after looking onto his schedule.

"Neliel, I think I'll wait in the lobby." Ichigo called.

"Oh no you won't! Get in here and escort me!"

The orange head sighed. Women could be so demanding sometimes…

"Thanks for the help!" she exclaimed to the man before she and Ichigo headed over to the sixth room.

"Neliel, I could hear you from a mile away!" Yylfordt said as he sat comfortably inside the car and let his legs hang out the door.

"Hi Yylfordt. How are you this evening?"

"Better now that you're here."

"Shouldn't you be working?"

"Got off at four. Hanging around this place for the company. And look, you've even arrived to make it even better."

"Is that so…? Where's my brother?"

"Where do you think?"

Neliel got down on her knees and looked under the car. She could see the top of Grimmjow's head as he lay underneath the vehicle with his legs sticking out the opposite side.

"Grimmjow! I brought you dinner!" she yelled in an unnecessarily loud voice.

"Damnit, Neliel!" said man looked up and glared at her.

Blue eyes moved from Neliel to the backs of Yylfordt's feet, then over to the familiar pair of sneakers on the other person.

" _What's he doing here?"_  the bluenette thought.

Ichigo walked around the car slowly, running his fingers along the shiny coat, until he came upon the lower half of Grimmjow's body.

He was wearing a large, dark blue jumpsuit but had apparently taken the top part of it off given the temperature. It was a little warm in this place, not to mention how toasty it was getting outside.

The boy bent down next to him to avoid Yylfordt's wandering gaze.

"So, is this the strawberry you've told me so much about?" he asked.

"Shut the hell up, Yylfordt!" Grimmjow exclaimed while rolling quickly from under the car on his creeper.

"What? I'm just curious… You were on the phone with me for an hour talking about how you and him-"

"Yylfodt, shut up!"

Neliel, now aware of the person Grimmjow had talked to on the phone when he was talking about Ichigo, shook her head and walked over to her brother, "Here, I'm sure you're hungry. I made this just for you." She said after pulling a large container out of her booksack.

Grimmjow looked it up and down a few times before squinting at the girl in front of him, "What did you do to it?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nothing! I told you I'd get you back for the shaken up soda that ruined my sheets later! I wouldn't bring you a sabotaged lunch! What kind of cook would I be if I did something like that!?"

Ichigo felt his cheeks go warm as he observed Grimmjow's newly revealed top half. He was wearing a tight fitted gray tank top that showed off how well-built his torso was. His chest looked really strong and pokable beneath it and his shoulder muscles flexed appealingly as he took the container from Neliel.

He then noticed the dog tag around the man's neck. It was flipped around to his backside so he couldn't tell what it was, but he was sure he could guess that it was the one he had given him a long time ago. Some band he really liked had come to town and he couldn't go see them. So Ichigo had went and gotten a necklace from one of the band members in his stead.

He had forgotten about it honestly, but it was apparently something Grimmjow really appreciated. Looking at it must have reminded him, every time he put it on, of the boy he wanted back the most.

Grimmjow, who noticed he was being watched, turned and opened his mouth to Ichigo to show him some of his chewed up food.

"Aw, gross!" the other exclaimed.

Neliel bent over the man and smacked him against the back of his head.

"That's not what we do with gourmet food!"

When he started choking, she knelt and started slapping him hard against his back.

When his coughing spell ended, the bluenette turned angrily to Neliel.

"You could've killed me you goat-faced pest!"

When he noticed Ichigo's stare at Grimmjow turn from one of disgust to one full of desire, Yylfordt stepped out of the passenger's seat and walked around the car to the other three.

"Hey Nel, wanna go grab some coffee from the lobby? Let's chat for a bit."

"Huh? Why would I wanna grab coffee with-OOOOH… Um, yeah. Let's go! No chatting though."

Neliel walked past Ichigo and left the room with Yylfordt.

As soon as they'd gone, it became awkwardly silent. The tension in the room could be felt even outside the warehouse  _if_ one had been watching the two remaining men.

Ichigo tried to avoid staring at Grimmjow as best he could as he inhaled the food Neliel had just given him. It wasn't as hard considering he was eating like he hadn't eaten in days.

Once he was done, the bluenette placed the fork in the container and put it on the ground. He then took a swig of the soda Yylfordt had left in the customer's car.

"You never did like eating with chopsticks…" Ichigo commented.

"And you always did like staring at me."

"What? I wasn't staring at you…"

"You can say you're not a natural redhead, but we'd both know you were lying about  _that_  too." Grimmjow grinned.

"Whatever…" the boy's cheeks were growing hot again.

"So what made you come here anyway? I thought you hated me after the way you acted last night."

Ichigo shook his head and looked Grimmjow in the face, "I'm really sorry about that. I wasn't trying to be hurtful to you. And I really don't hate you." He said as he leaned over and wiped some motor oil from the man's cheek.

"You sure act like it." Grimmjow said before grabbing the boy's arm and pulling him closer.

With his free hand, he took Ichigo by the chin and stared him directly in the eyes.

"You wanna let me go, Grimmjow…?"

"Not really. I  _want_ to shut you up by shoving my tongue down your throat."

"Too bad we don't operate like that anymore."

"Kurosaki, you should drop the act and tell me how you feel about me. Like I told you before, and this time you can't run away, I know you still love me. I'm not as stupid as you think I am."

"Let me go, Grimm. I…can't be with you right now… You just have to understand that some things are the way they are for good reasons."

Grimmjow closed his eyes and tensed up.

"Grimmjow? Are you…okay?"

*DAAAAAARPP*

Ichigo pushed the man away with all his might and fell on his own rear.

"Burping in my face doesn't help you at all!" he shouted.

"Hehehehahahaha! I'm sorry! It just came out! I promise! I promise!" Grimmjow said through stifled laughter.

"You are so childish!"

"Heh, and that's why you love me."

Ichigo shook his head. Just then, Neliel and Yylfordt entered the room with their coffee.

"I'll see you later!" Ichigo shouted with red cheeks before telling Neliel it was time to go.

He got up off the floor and headed to the exit of the warehouse as quickly as possible.

"But wait-ugh. Well, I guess I'll see you at home Grimmjow," she turned to Yylfordt and blushed, "and see you…never."

"Aw, don't be like that!" the blonde said with a grin. He looked down to Grimmjow who was also grinning, though his was from ear to ear, "What the hell are you smiling about?"

"I think I'm finally getting something back that I had lost." The man responded dazedly.

* * *

Neliel walked alongside Ichigo, who had grown unbearably silent, until they reached her house.

"Good night, Neliel. Enjoy the rest of your week." Ichigo said dismissively.

"Matte! Before you go..."

"Hm?"

"I just think… I  _really_ think you should give Grimmjow another chance! I don't know what he's done to make you mad at him, but I'm sure he didn't mean to do it. He's been so lonely lately. And even I can tell he's sad and misses you like crazy. I mean, he works out more than necessary, he goes on long drives over the weekends, and he doesn't eat as much as he used to. I just know something's up, mainly because you never come around anymore…"

"Neliel-"

"That guy has ruined everything. Kinko's…Steamroll…? Ginjo! That's what his name was!"

Brown eyes went wide in shock.

"Wait, how do you-"

"Anyway, I know my brother still loves you! And you should stop by more often to see him. Make him happy again. And me too!" the girl ended the conversation with that and walked quickly to her front door.

"Nel, matte! Neliel!"

After the girl fled into the mansion, Ichigo stayed still at the end of the driveway, completely flabbergasted. He was honestly unable to move he was so surprised by her...knowledge…

Neliel knew about Ginjo?

If she knew about him, then did that mean Grimmjow did too?

After careful, tedious consideration, Ichigo came to the conclusion that he probably didn't. Ginjo would be pushing up daisies if he did.

But how could  _she_  have found out about him though? He hadn't told  _anyone_  about him, not even his family, let alone his closest friends! He barely saw her as of late so it was unfathomable how she could know about Ginjo.

Ichigo glanced up to the evening sky.

"Thanks universe…You really know how to give a person a sign, don't you?"


	21. Promises

While it seems a broken or forgotten promise has outrun its speaker, it is sometimes the result of the world and the hands of time that have come into play. Does our humanity, the ability to forget or to be manipulated by another, mean the person who spoke the vow is so terrible?

* * *

Wednesday at ten o'clock in the morning.

Miss Misato, pumped full of adrenaline and excitement, not to mention three cups of coffee, stepped onto the first charter bus when it pulled into the school parking lot. After a brief discussion with the driver, she stepped back off.

"Well we're about to get going everyone! Since the first bus is here we'll board it shortly with the people who are here already. I'll give the stragglers a little bit longer before we leave. Who's  _ready_  for this!? YEAH!" she asked exuberantly then threw her fist into the air.

Senna, having just arrived, came out of the back door of the gymnasium and ran straight up to Renji, "Give it back, ya jerk!"

"Promise you won't do anything to ruin this trip for me then." The redhead responded.

"You know, someday maybe you'll want more than just a sexual relationship with Shuhei! I doubt you even love him!" she hissed so only he could hear.

"I think the two of us are doing fine. And it's none of your business anyway. Do we have a deal?" he asked while the thought of how he felt about Shuhei was now brought up again.

The first time was a point when he was alone, thinking about all the people in his life. The girl he could never have, the boy he was too late to have, and then the person he was with. Did he love Shuhei? It was definitely something he had pondered over and over again.

"Fine. Now hand me back my camera. I paid near one thousand yen for it!"

Renji reached in his pocket and pulled out the camera before slapping it down in the girl's hand.

Ichigo walked up to them when he arrived with his own camping gear, "Morning guys."

"Morning Ichigo. At least he, no matter how sneaky he's been lately, still loves his boyfriend." Senna said that last part to Renji.

Ichigo's smile quickly vanished. What did Senna know? How had he been sneaky lately? Did everyone know about him and Ginjo or… What was going on?

"Good morning, Ichigo. Ignore Senna. I usually try to."

Although he was still curious about Senna's comment, at least she was talking to him again. He looked up to the sky, distracting himself from their continuing banter.

The weather had indeed gotten a bit bearable for outside activities. It was strange, warmth in the middle of November, but he wasn't complaining. At least this aspect of the trip would be in his favor.

He glanced around and saw no sign of Grimmjow. Maybe he wasn't going after all.

"Looking for someone, Kurosaki?" Ishida asked as he exited the back doors of the gymnasium and entered the parking lot with Chad.

"Ishida, Chad, good morning." The boy greeted.

"Morning." Ishida said.

"Mmm." Chad muttered.

Shuhei exited the gym next and ran up to Renji, "Morning Mr. I'm Gonna Stay Up Late Playing Skyrim."

"I went to sleep at three…something… I think…"

"Well, you're not keeping me from having fun tonight. I'm gonna do the ecosystem documentation with Kira and Hinamori. Then I'll come see you after we're done."

"Aw, no fun! Do it with me!"

Senna turned away and chuckled at the statement and desperation in the redhead's voice. When Renji saw Ichigo grin, he his cheeks grew an even more intense red than his hair.

"Don't even think about copying me, Abarai." Ishida said, adjusting his glasses.

"Wasn't gonna! I have Rukia! No, you know what, I'll do it with Ikkaku and Yumichika!"

Senna turned away and giggled uncontrollably.

"Speaking of which, where is she? And where's Inoue?" Chad asked.

"Everyone, we'll begin boarding the bus right now." Miss Misato called after looking down at her watch.

Senna seemed to notice something and picked up her bags before dashing to the front of the school.

"Senna? Senna! Where are you going!?" Ichigo called.

"To get a better ride!" the girl said with a wave.

All of the boys watched as she rounded the corner and disappeared.

"Should someone follow her?" Ishida asked.

"Let her go." Renji said.

A six hour bus ride without her sounded more than good to him.

Ichigo followed the other four to the bus, still looking for Grimmjow in the crowd of students. There was still no sign of either Rukia or Inoue, and Senna had run off from everyone. The only company he'd have would be the lovesick Renji and Shuhei, and the silent duo Chad and Ishida.

And what about Tatsuki and the others? Were they on the other bus?

Well, it was too late to find out now. Miss Misato laid eyes on him and his group.

"Pick up the pace! We don't have all day, Mr. Kurosaki!" she urged.

"Right…"

What a long three and a half hours this would be…

* * *

A really bad nature-themed kid's show played on the second bus ride to the park. After the brief plane flight, everyone was, again, loaded onto two separate buses; the second was late this time around too. Still no sign of Grimmjow. Then again, Ichigo hadn't been looking for him adamantly, so there was no telling if he had come on this trip or thought it too stupid and stayed home.

Rukia, Inoue, and Senna also weren't on the plane.

Glancing down to his ipod, he saw that they only had about another fifteen minutes or so before they arrived at Daisetsuzan National Park.

"Kurosaki-kuuuuun!"

Ichigo turned as he heard his name being called loudly. It was Inoue. It sounded like she was outside.

The boy let his window down and stuck his head out. There he saw the girls in Rukia's limousine. Inoue and Senna were standing through the sunroof and Rukia herself waved from the window in the back seat.

"That's what you meant, Senna!?"

"Yup! I saw them pull into the front of the school and was like, I have to get in on this! We took a private jet to get to Hokkaido too! It was awesome!"

"Inoue! Rukia! Where have you two been!?"

Rukia smiled, "Shopping. We were getting a big tent so the three of us-"

"AHEM!"

"Oh, I mean so the four of us could share!" she answered after being corrected.

"Who is-"

"Hiiii Ichigo!" Rangiku called after jumping onto Rukia and looking out the window.

"Rangiku!?"

"Rangiku!?" a few other guys on the bus called before jumping to the windows on the side of the bus the limo was trailing them on.

"You forgot I was going on this trip, didn't you?" the honey blonde asked with false unhappiness in her voice.

"Orihimeeeeeeee!"

Everyone turned around and saw Tatsuki waving excitedly from the bus behind them.

"Tatsuki-chan!"

"Hey, what about me!?" Chizuru asked.

"Honsho! Ohaayoooooo!" Inoue smiled.

"Orihime my love! You have to sleep in my tent-mmmmphhmmm!"

"Don't mind her!" Tatsuki interrupted by covering Chizuru's mouth.

"I'm sleeping in Kuchiki-san's tent tonight! But let's do the assignment together!" Inoue offered.

Ichigo turned in the opposite direction and saw that the park was coming into view. He waved to the girls once more before sitting back in his seat and closing his window.

The six girls had all really distracted him from the lingering thoughts about Grimmjow and he was grateful for it while it had lasted.

It's really amazing how much a woman can change a man's mood… or, maybe a bunch of goofy women would be a more accurate description of them.

* * *

"Okay class, follow the instructors!" Miss Misato said.

The other, younger female teacher turned to the large group of seniors as they made their way to the campsite through a nature path and shrugged with a smile. At least  _someone_  was being enthusiastic about this trip.

It shouldn't be forgotten that this was a class assignment. As mentioned before, it was an assignment about the different ecosystems in this park. Students were to specifically document their surroundings based on the knowledge acquired through their previous science classes. It was nice to remember the basics since some of these geniuses were already in biochemistry.

The assignment was accredited to none other than Dr. Kurotsuchi, the head of the science department at the school. He claimed students were leaving Karakura without any proper observational of Japan's diverse environments.

Miss Misato entered one of the administrative stations and stayed for a few minutes. Everyone noticed some large housing buildings and wondered why they had to sleep outside.

Once they reached the campsite, everyone who had brought their tents began setting them up. Those who did not asked their friends if they could spend the next two nights with them.

It looked like everyone in Ichigo's group had brought their own tents apart from the girls who were sharing the largest one at the site. It was lavender and was probably six normal sized tents combined in one. That's how large it was.

It was a perfect display of how much money Rukia had at her disposal.

Ichigo decided he would set his tent up a bit away from everyone. Not that he was trying to be distant from them, he just thought it'd be nice to sleep away from the girls' chatting and Renji's…needs… He would miss out on some of the heat from the log fires, but that was okay. Although it would be cooler given it would be nighttime, it would be nothing like how cold his father kept the temperature at home when it was bedtime.

After he had completed setting up his tent, he decided he would go off on his own to begin his assignment. Some time away from everyone would give him time to clear his head.

He pulled out his notebook and pen from his booksack and took off down a trail that led to a clearing not very far ahead of him.

* * *

"Kuchiki-san, do you know how to set this tent up?" Inoue asked while holding a rod.

"No, but there is an instruction manual. With that it'll be easy. We can do this in no time." The shorter girl smiled.

"Well we should hurry so we can make some observations before the sun goes down. It's already three o'clock." Senna commented.

"Where's Rangiku?" Rukia said as she pulled the manual from the box.

"She's gone to do her observations with Hinamori and the others." Inoue said before bending down to read as well.

"Hey Rukia, do you think it would be mean if I did something to Renji, even if Shuhei got involved in the crossfire?" Senna asked out of the blue.

"If Shuhei didn't do anything to deserve that, then yeah, it'd probably be a nasty thing to do."

"Oh… well maybe I'll just get him when Shuhei's not around then."

"Senna, do you have feelings for Renji or something? I mean, you're always arguing with him, but maybe that's because you don't know how to engage him in normal, friendly conversation… It could be that you're covering them up."

"Ew! Absolutely not! Renji's nice looking and all compared to some of the other guys at this school, but I don't like him! We just always need to beat each other some way or another. Think of it as a sibling rivalry for lack of a better comparison. Nothing romantic at all."

"You think of him as a sibling, Senna?" Inoue inquired.

"Ugh, let's just drop it! Anything I say will get misconstrued so just know that I don't, have never, and won't ever have romantic feelings for Renji. He's too annoying." When the other two girls looked at each other and then back to her, Senna continued, "Glad we cleared up that whole misunderstanding."

"That's a shame…people who seem the most ill-fitting in the beginning usually make the best couples…" Rukia commented.

"Like Bulma and Vegeta." Inoue added.

"Or Ron and Hermoine." Rukia continued.

"There's Beast and Belle."

"And Esmeralda and Phoebus."

"…Naruto and Sakura."

"That one's not cannon just yet, Inoue. But it has a two part story of build up."

"Right! Well hmm, then, Serena and Darien. That series has been finished for years." The redheaded girl smiled.

"Bon and Rin." Rukia quickly covered her mouth as soon as she said those names.

"What was that? Our little yaoi queen has emerged!" Senna exclaimed, glad the subject was changing and also drawing attention to their small group.

There was no lie to what she had said just a few moments ago. Renji was just like an annoying older brother to her. Always had been, and always would be. The fact that these two were comparing them to other couples made her want to throw up. Honestly, the thought of Renji…

"I'll be back, need to hurl…" the girl said, holding her stomach and leaving Rukia and Inoue to finish their conversation that had somehow gone back to Naruto and Sakura.

* * *

Ichigo, having finished his environmental documentations, was now lying in the grassy field he had done most of his illustrations and analyses from.

The wind blew gently across his sprawled out form and knocked the spiky bangs from his face.

He closed his eyes and got so relaxed that he nearly fell asleep, but he realized he'd best stay awake. This was an unfamiliar area and he had always been advised to take caution in situations like these.

After yawning and stretching, he sat up to glance down at his work. He had done some pretty decent illustrations for simple sketches.

When he looked back the way he came, he absolutely couldn't help but wondering where Grimmjow was. Albeit, he didn't see most of the students who had gotten off the second bus. Plus, on the walk to the camp site, he was one of the first ones in line and he didn't even look behind him since his friends had been ahead of him.

Why worry so much about him anyway? He was a big boy. And he also had his own group of friends. Friends who probably wouldn't share their tents with him if he had forgotten to bring his own…

Well, maybe Stark would if he had actually come on the trip. He must have had some pretty good grades to miss out on this assignment. It was being given by the language department because not all the seniors were taking a science course. Some people got an early start in junior high.

Ichigo looked to the sky and wondered if he would be that nice to Grimm. Probably. It was a nice thing to do for anyone who might be stuck out in the cold.

Unless it was Ginjo.

Well, no, even if it was Ginjo. After all, he was only doing this in some form of repaying Masaki for her kindness to him.

The boy threw his fist to the ground and shouted, "What should I do!?" to the sky. It was all he could do right now; scream and vent out his innermost feelings. Ginjo had become quite the parasite in his life and he was sick of not being able to shake him off.

A strong breeze blew against him, flipping the pages in his sketch pad until the few that were sketched on had left the ground and a dandelion was revealed.

Ichigo picked it up and stared at it for a few seconds. Then he recalled something from long ago.

Flashback

" _Ichigo, dear, slow down please. You're leaving me, your father, and your sisters."_

_Ichigo, having heard his name being called, turned around and smiled widely in his mother's direction._

_She pushed a stroller that held both Yuzu and Karin in it as she and Ishiin followed him through the grassy prairie._

_Once she caught up to him, Masaki bent down and hugged the small boy tightly, causing him to blush._

" _Mommy loves you so much, darling."_

" _I love you too, mommy."_

_Ishiin pulled out a blanket and sprawled it on the ground to let the girls crawl around as freely as they wanted._

" _Masaki, what do you think of having one son and two daughters?" he asked as he took a seat._

 _Masaki watched as Ichigo tumbled down a hill playfully and smiled, "I don't mind at all. They're my little angels. Just having children is something not everyone is able to do. So I appreciate the first one, and then the second_ bundle  _we were sent." She said before sitting down and using both her hands to allow Yuzu and Karin to use them as support to stand up._

" _I'm glad I could make you happy then. Even if I wanted two sons and one daughter…"_

" _Well, Karin's made of pretty tough stuff so I think she'll be more than you can handle, dear."_

" _Ichigo's coming."_

" _Oh? And what do you have there, honey?"_

" _A dandelion! We learned in science class they're also called taxaracums!" the boy grinned._

" _Taraxacums…" Ishiin corrected._

" _Really now!?" Masaki said, "And do you know what you can do with those?"_

" _I can make a wish on it! I want you to do it though!"_

_Masaki's eyes lit up in surprise at her son's selflessness, "Hm, well, let's see. Since you were so kind to me, then I'll return the favor to you tenfold." She took the dandelion gracefully, "I wish for the everlasting happiness of the Kurosaki family. May nothing sway us from the light and wondrousness of this beautiful world." And with that, she blew all the tiny stems into the flowing wind._

" _That was a good wish mommy!"_

" _Promise me this, Ichigo."_

" _Yeah?"_

" _I'd like you to promise me you'll be happy in everything that you do. Live a life of honest actions and expect the best, always."_

" _Mmhmm! I promise!"_

" _Dear, don't you think that's a little silly? I'm sure he won't remember this when he's grown up." Ishiin said._

" _No, he will. I trust that he will. And he'll pass it on to his sisters, his friends, his lover, and most importantly,_ you _Mr. Nonbeliever." The woman smiled lovingly._

" _Your optimism is what makes me love you so much, Masaki."_

_Ishiin leaned over and planted a kiss on his wife's cheek._

_Ichigo smiled and made a secret promise to himself to never let his mother's wish die._

End Flashback

Tears fell down Ichigo's face as he recalled that moment but he wiped them away, afraid someone might catch him crying for seemingly no reason.

But onto that memory. How could he ever have forgotten something like that? His mother loved him unconditionally with all of her heart. She would never judge him for having been with Grimmjow.

And if she were alive now, she'd probably want him to stay with him…or be with him again. After all, even his father liked Grimmjow.

Inoue had said it clear as day. Grimmjow made him happy. He never thought that much into his behavior when the cerulean haired man was around.

But Ginjo had to ruin everything.

" _Since you were so kind to me, then I'll return the favor to you tenfold."_

His mother's words rang in his ear like an enormous, golden bell.

Could that be what she had told Ginjo? Because now that he couldn't make up to her what she did for him, he was forcing upon him.

"Ginjo, you poor fool… You honestly do mean well, don't you?"

Ichigo sighed.

No way he could hate Ginjo for simply acting the way his mother would have… Or…having the same mentality as she did.

"But no matter the case, I was happy with Grimmjow. And I've already broken my promise to him…"

There was no way what was going on now brought anyone happiness. Probably not even Ginjo.

With some form of newfound determination, Ichigo collected his materials and headed back to camp.

He was not yet ready to be with Grimmjow again. Not until he could free himself of Ginjo's misguided kindness. But now he was even more determined to be happy once again.

With Grimmjow that is.

Despite all of this, there was one more promise that he had yet to recall…


	22. Returning a Favor

When he comes, he'll be like anything but a thief in the night. Nevertheless, he'll be ready to take you for all that you are without cooperation.

* * *

Wednesday night.

Ichigo sits comfortably around a campfire that Renji had started a little earlier when the sun went down. In the comfort of his friends and thoughts of being with Grimmjow again racing through his mind, he was content with the world for the first time in weeks.

"Hey, know what we should do!?" Renji asked.

"What?" Rukia asked.

"Tell scary stories! It's so-"

"Inappropriate." Ishida interrupted.

"What? Why?"

"We're in the middle of a national park. How do you see it fit to tell a scary story? I think a more appropriate thing to do would be to…I don't know…sing a song or something. That's what they want you to do in national landscapes… Right?"

"YOU'RE gonna sing!? Oh my gosh!" Senna said ceremoniously.

Everyone turned to Ishida, who blushed and relinquished the idea completely, assuring them he had no intention of singing.

"Oh, we could talk about out favorite Disney movies!" Inoue offered.

"Pass…"

"Pass."

"Pass!"

"W-what's wrong with that?" the girl asked.

"I don't mind doing it…" Ichigo began, "but I don't want to because discussions like those can carry on for way too long."

"Aww…" Inoue brought her legs up to her chest and rested her chin in the crevasse created by them.

Renji got an idea, "What about-"

"What about going to sleep?" Rangiku asked irritably after sticking her head out of the large tent behind Inoue, Rukia, and Senna.

"Well, I hate to agree with such a drama queen, but I am getting kind of tired…" Senna commented.

"I know. I don't really think I can keep my eyes open much longer…" Inoue added with a cute yawn.

"Same here. I think we talked enough for one night." Chad smiled before standing and heading to his tent, "Good night, guys."

"Night night Sado-kun!"

"Good night, Chad."

"Sleep tight big guy!" Senna said.

Ichigo turned back to the group and noticed everyone else following Chad's example.

Renji and Shuhei went to their tent. Ishida got up and headed to his own. And the girls all entered their luxury sized tent Rukia had bought.

Oh well. Chad had a good point anyway. They had all been talking about…nothing really…since about five o'clock. It was now ten twenty-two. Though it was weird, sometimes friends end up doing that kind of thing and have the best time doing it.

Once he heard all the tents being zipped for the night, he shook his head. He decided he would stay at the fire until it turned to embers. Any kind of disaster on their part, even if the area around them was clear, was something he wanted to avoid. There were still treetops overhead and you can never be too careful.

Inoue looked out of her tent. She was dressed in a large, pink, fluffy sweater that revealed some of her cleavage and her hair was pulled into a neat bun.

"You okay, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Oh, yeah. I just wanted to watch the fire die out. It's relaxing."

"There's water nearby if you get too tired for that." She smiled.

"Thanks. Good night, Inoue. Good night girls."

"Night Ichigo!" Senna called from inside the tent.

"Sleep tight." Rukia said.

"Mmm…Night deary…" Rangiku was clearly seconds away from passing out.

Inoue smiled and then got back inside of the tent before zipping it up for the night.

As the flames burned through the firewood, Ichigo felt himself entranced. It was like some kind of dance, watching them. So passionate yet dangerous at the same time.

"Just like Grimm…"

The boy shook his head roughly to rid himself of the thoughts.

Once the fire turned to bright, twinkling embers, Ichigo stood from his seat on the ground and yawned before walking to his tent.

He got inside, zipped it up, and fell face first on the cushioned floor it had.

He grabbed his pillow and turned his head on it so half of it was exposed in the dark and the other was covered by its soft embrace.

For some reason, he couldn't fall asleep. It was strange because he thought he was tired when everyone had left the fire earlier.

After a while of blankly staring at nothing, he did feel himself slipping from consciousness. That is, until his tent unzipped.

When fingers ran up his leg, it caused him to jump up in surprise, "Who-who's there!?"

"Oh my god! Spider! It's huge!"

"Renji!? What the hell, man!?" he hissed.

"Haha, calm down, Ichigo."

"What do you want?"

"Oh, I just wanted to see if you… uh…have a condom I can use…?"

"Damnit, Renji… No I don't… Either go bareback or don't go at all…"

"Well, see you after you're rested,  _Mr. Cranky_."

Renji got out of the tent and zipped it back up again. Maybe this was a sign that Shuhei deserved a break…

* * *

Ichigo lay in his tent, trying to fall asleep again after Renji's intrusion.

It wasn't working though.

After being scared fully awake again, he wouldn't be sleeping for a while.

The world outside continued to be alive, even when everyone was powering down and going to sleep. The wind blew and the leaves rustled. The crickets, as loudly as they could, sang their calling songs trying to impress a mate. Owls hooted, some unnecessarily loud. Surely, the moon was shinning as bright as it always did while the stars twinkled and danced about.

He sat up and undid the canopy to see the beautiful night sky, instead of simply guessing.

Once he did, he was immediately rewarded. As he assumed, the stars were shining brightly. The moon lit up the sky and the few clouds that gathered near it in a magnificent display.

Despite its luminosity though, the moon did little to actually light up his small tent. It was fairly dark and Ichigo found it hard to see anything in his surrounding area.

Reaching his hand up, he wondered what it would be like to hold a star; bring it down here and let it light the place up. It probably wasn't as pleasant as everyone wanted it to be though, since they were simply hot gas. But it was still nice to dream like a normal person did.

This thought of stars and having one made the unforgettable words that touched his heart ring about in his head.

" _No, it's not that I'll never be able to reach one. I know full well this particular star will fall to me because I'm not giving up on it. And if it doesn't fall to me, which I'm sure it will, I'll jump to space, grab it, and live with it in its stardust."_

Ichigo sighed. This was something he'd really rather be doing with-

*ZIIIIIIIIIIP*

The boy didn't even wait to react when he heard his tent being unzipped. He saw the perfect opportunity when Renji popped his face in again and let his foot connect with it harshly.

"Ooooow! Shit…" Grimmjow groaned in pain.

"G-Grimmjow?!"

Said man grabbed his face in agony, turning beet red in the process.

Ichigo sat up quickly and put his hand on Grimmjow's forearm to pull himself closer to him.

"Damnit, Kurosaki! What the fuck was that for!?" the man asked through the hand covering his aching face. Even his eyes were watering.

Ichigo, feeling unbelievably guilty, looked away, "I thought you were Renji…"

"Daaamnit…Fucking hell…"

"I'm so sorry, Grimmjow. I'd never intentionally hurt you like this."

Ichigo slowly pulled the larger man closer and buried his reddening face in his own chest before wrapping his arms around the back of the man's head affectionately.

Grimmjow could feel the boy's heart beating abnormally fast. He was clearly nervous. Which was a good sign, right? Not that he planned to get kicked square in the face, but this contact was very, very nice nonetheless.

After a few minute of soothingly stroking Grimmjow's spiky blue locks, Ichigo released him.

"I have a question for you. What the heck are you opening my tent for anyway?"

"…I… need a place to sleep…"

"What? You didn't remember to bring a tent did you? Did they run out of the spares?"

"Yeah, and if not with you, I'll end up sleeping on the ground in the cold." The man said, clearly trying to guilt trip the other.

"It wouldn't be cold if you slept by the fires." The orange haired boy smirked, "Who's the pussy now?"

"…Shut up…"

"So what if I say no?"

Grimmjow straightened up and grinned, "Wouldn't matter even if you did. You owe me a favor anyway."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"It can't have been that long ago… You don't remember that night you called me and woke me up to  _talk_?"

"I…uh…"

"Come on, Kurosaki..."

Flashback

_Grabbing his phone, Ichigo quickly dialed the number he was so familiar with that he knew it backwards. It felt like time was frozen in those few moments he waited for an answer._

" _Hello?"_

" _Grimmjow…"_

" _Kurosaki… Why are you calling me this late for?" Grimmjow asked. He sounded like he had just woken up. The "why" and "for" were a clear sign of that._

" _I…I just needed to hear your voice…"_

" _Kurosaki-"_

" _I love you, okay? I always will."_

"… _Why are you telling me that like I'd ever forget it? What's going on with you all of a sudden?"_

_Ichigo sat in silence for a few moments. He was denying all that Ginjo had said before. He absolutely had to. Grimmjow wasn't a loser. He also wasn't a bum. And he wasn't any of those other names that had been laid on his name. He meant more to Ichigo than he would probably ever be able to put into words._

" _Will you stay up with me for a while? I just need to talk to you."_

" _About what?"_

" _Anything, I don't care. I need to hear your voice."_

"… _Fine. But if I fall asleep in my classes tomorrow, you know it'll be all your fault. I'm gonna call you if the teacher slams a book on my desk and let you talk to 'em."_

" _Right now, the last thing I care about is your teachers... I just need this favor…just this once."_

" _Okay. But I get to ask a favor of you at any time, about anything, and you can't deny me." Grimmjow responded._

" _Deal."_

" _Don't forget because you know I won't."_

" _Yeah…"_

End Flashback

Ichigo moved aside and let Grimmjow into his tent that was now proving to be a bit small for two people.

"Well, get tight… This tent wasn't really made for two people." He said before closing the zipper once more.

The bluenette pulled off his jacket and pants before falling onto his back to enjoy the cushioned floor. He was still decent though. Up top he was wearing a white t-shirt and below he still had a pair of boxers on.

"I can't see too much, but I really hope you didn't just get naked…"

"You want me to, don't you? But don't get your panties in a twist. I still have clothes on."

"Panties!? You're the one wearing panties!"

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. There was only one way to prove he wasn't.

He reached over, took Ichigo's hand, and placed it on his own upper thigh to prove he was definitely wearing boxer shorts.

Ichigo blushed and pulled his hand away immediately.

"Told ya…Oh… I didn't actually… But you know for sure now."

"Grimmjow! Out! Now! Get out of my tent!"

"Nope."

"What?"

"I said no. You owe me. And you know what, we're gonna sleep…like this…"

Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo into a cuddling position with his stomach and chest pressed against the smaller boy's back.

"I'm not sleeping like this with you…"

"You don't remember? You can't deny me on any part of my favor."

"You're not playing fair."

"That's okay. It's one…I mean, two nights of this. You'll live."

Ichigo sighed and gave up. He  _had_  agreed to the condition of not being able to deny Grimmjow what he wanted.

What he wanted…

What if he wanted to…

The familiar feeling of the man's erect penis at his lower backside only made the boy fret even more.

"I won't force you to do anything…like that…with me. I just want… I want to be close to you. It's all I've wanted the whole fucking time we've been apart."

" _That's all he's wanted? Well, I want to be close to you too baka…"_  Ichigo thought.

But he couldn't let Grimmjow know it. He'd undoubtedly want to get back together again. Unfortunately, there was a large pothole in that plan right now.

Luckily he had yet to formally propose they get together again.

"So, this is all you're going to make me do then?"

"Well, if we did what I really  _wanted_  to do, then I'd feel like a rapist or something. I know you can feel it pressing against you."

"You…you baka…"

"So, Kurosaki, can you really tell me you don't miss this? My arms around you at night?" the bluenette asked with a light squeeze.

"You always did hold me too tight. So the absence is nice on occasion…"

"On occasion?"

"Anyway, you just need to move on-"

"I've changed. For you I've changed. I know it's not everything you're wanting, because I still have some issues, but I'm making the effort to get you back. I hate losing what's mine after all."

"Things were fine the way they were…" Ichigo whispered.

"What was that? Speak up. I can't hear you." Grimmjow said with a tight squeeze.

"Grimm, stop! You know I hate being held like this! "

"Do I?"

"Yes! Are you trying to break me or something!?"

"No, you're just really fragile…"

Seeing that this would only and could only get violent, Ichigo realized the only thing he could do in this situation and did it. He sent his head backwards and let it connect with Grimmjow's face, thus freeing himself.

He sat up and grinned, "Told yo-"

With an unseen pugnacious grin, Grimmjow tackled the boy to the soft floor and held him down by his wrists.

"You'll never best me, Kurosaki. Give up on that idea altogether."

"Yeah?" Ichigo, having gotten used to being pinned down, finally knew how to get free. He grabbed Grimmjow's wrists and dug his fingernails into them, but not enough to hurt the larger man. He wasn't Ginjo after all.

"Shit!" Grimmjow immediately released his grip and jumped back.

"I think, after all of your immaturity, you deserve this…" the smaller boy said.

"Huh-"

*WAP*

The bluenette fell over, in complete shock.

Ichigo had just punched him in the face. Ichigo of all people!

"Whoo! That felt so good!" the orange haired boy felt like doing Senna's victory dance but fought the temptation.

"Kurosaki-"

"You're a violent guy, huh? And I know you like fighting, so come at me!" said boy baited.

"I- I can't…"

"Why not?"

"'Cuz…when I kick your ass, you'll  _never_  want to come back to me." Grimmjow said with a grin.

"See, the Grimmjow I know would kick ass and just take what he wanted afterwards. Even if that wouldn't work here, I think you need to stop trying to be someone else and just be Grimmjow!"

Cerulean eyes, now fully accustomed to the dark, looked the boy ahead of him over. Not that he wanted to, but if kicking Kurosaki's ass would prove he still had spunk, he'd be more than happy to oblige. After all, this was an official challenge. He was the dominant one between them and it was time to reestablish that.

"Look who's the pussy no-"

Quickly, Grimmjow tackled Ichigo again and sent his fist across the boy's face without remorse. He did it twice more before Ichigo kneed him in the gut, making him double over in pain.

Without a second thought, the orange head brought his hands together and slammed them against the other's backside.

The bluenette grinned against the floor, "You like fighting dirty, huh? 'Cuz you know you can't overpower me the old-fashioned way…heh…"

"Don't ask that if you can't stop me from doing it."

"Kurosakiiii!" Grimmjow shouted and charged through the pain at him.

The two went at it, not wanting to let the other win, for about five good minutes rolling and pinning each other, trying to come out on top.

At last, Grimmjow had Ichigo's arms pinned above his head again, and was about to send a blow to him until-

"Hey! Hey! HEY! What on earth is going on in here!?" Miss Misato asked loudly.

She unzipped the tent and stuck a spray bottle in before spraying both of the men with water making them jump like cats.

"Just what is going on in there!?" she asked and then stuck a flashlight and her head inside the tent.

"Uh…we were just-"

"Having a heated debate!" Ichigo interrupted, "We've resolved it though! No need to worry! Get the sleep you deserve, Miss Misato." he smiled.

"I…I do deserve a good night's rest… don't I? Well, don't let your debates get out of control again."

With a yawn, the woman zipped the tent again and went back to her own near the rest of the students.

"Young love…" she said while shaking her head.

Ichigo sat on his posterior and looked in the direction he heard Grimmjow breathing heavily in, "See? *huff* That's more like the old you *huff*."

"I had you beat. Your teacher saved you from a  _forced_  night's sleep."

"Whatever…"

Grimmjow crawled over to Ichigo and pushed him into the moonlight provided through the canopy. He grinned before wiping the faint blood trail from under the boy's nose, "Didn't mean to do that."

"Don't think you need to change, Grimm. Someday, someone will love you just the way you are."

"…And I already know who that person is."

"…Shut up…"

With a big yawn, the bluenette fell onto his back, "Get over here and cuddle with me."

"Fine, but only because it's a part of that favor. Don't read into this the wrong way, Grimmjow."

"As long as you do it."

Ichigo moved over to the larger man and got right up next to him once more. He felt those familiar arms wrap around him and smiled in the darkness.

Grimmjow was still the same guy he was when they had first met. And that was what had him smiling the way he was.

There was never any need for him to change anything. It was all merely a cover he had made for Ginjo.

The thought of the manipulative man made the boy remember that this closeness would be short-lived. Regardless, it would be enjoyed for all its worth.

"I hope I don't wake up and find you gone…" Grimmjow said before yawning again and closing his eyes.

"…Good night, Grimm."

"Night, Kurosaki."

Once he heard a faint snore emitting from the other, Ichigo cautiously put his hand on top of Grimmjow's, which was resting just in front of his own stomach, and intertwined their fingers.

Although he wouldn't admit it, this is exactly what he wanted tonight.

* * *

Even though he had Grimmjow's strong arms to keep him warm, Ichigo just couldn't fall asleep.

This is exactly what he had been yearning for. Grimmjow here beside him and finally content again.

He sat up a bit to avoid hurting the other man's arm that was underneath him, and turned to face him as he slept calmly, hiding those vibrant blue eyes from the world.

"I wish we could be like this every night, Grimmjow… I really do. But there's something I have to take care of first." He said before wrapping his own arms around the man's lower torso and breathing in his heavy scent.

He wanted to kiss him. Now was the perfect chance too.

But was that right to Ginjo? Even if it was forced, they were technically together right now…

" _But he did it to me when he knew I was with Grimmjow… And he knew I didn't want to be with him like that. Besides, it's his own fault I'm in this situation anyway. If he hadn't badmouthed Grimm, I never would have called him and this deal never would have been made."_

Ichigo leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Grimmjow's. They were slightly chapped, but just as wonderful as he remembered them to be. And it was good. No, it was more than good. This tiny contact between them was spectacular.

His stomach turned and he started heating up.

" _This is love."_ he thought.

And for as long as he could, he kept his lips pressed firmly against Grimmjow's.

When he felt a tongue poking eagerly at his lips, he jumped. Before he could pull away, Grimmjow grabbed the back of his head and held him in place.

Seeing that he couldn't pull himself free, he inwardly sighed.

" _I…give up..."_  He thought before opening his mouth and letting the man's tongue roam about freely.

After Ichigo tenderly caught the increasingly familiar tongue between his teeth and sucked it, Grimmjow became immensely excited. That became clear when he let his free hand fly down to the other's private area.

But things couldn't go that far. The boy pulled away and grabbed the hand groping him hungrily, "Just kissing Grimmjow. Nothing else."

"Fuck…"

"No, we absolutely can't."

"I know. It's just, even in my dreams you're holding out on me. I guess we were always meant to break up, huh?"

"Dream…?" Ichigo echoed. Well, if he thought it was a dream... "…Grimmjow, shut that kind of talk up. I… I love you. I  _always_  have. But no matter how much you enjoy this kiss, when you wake up in the morning, just pretend like you never dreamt this. It'll only make things awkward tomorrow night."

"Whatever you say. Kurosaki always knows best after all."

"Just…shut up…"

Grimmjow did just that by bringing his lips to Ichigo's once more.

And for the rest of what he could remember from that night, he was not being denied. Kurosaki was eagerly returning his kiss.

It may have  _felt_  like nothing more than a dream, but he'd surely make it come to fruition as a guilt free action in the future.

With that dignified thought in mind, he wrapped his arms around the boy once more and held him in a kiss until the world slowly faded out.

Even in a dream, he would always want Kurosaki like this…


	23. Headstrong, Powerful, Dangerous

Thursday morning.

As the sun did its job, ligting the world, it did the same to the small tent which held two seemingly star-crossed lovers.

Rays of warm sunlight beamed down onto Ichigo's face through his tent's open canopy causing him to pull his blanket over his face. He wanted to at least try to remain asleep a bit longer.

Upon moving his head, he felt a cold substance on his face. It could only be one thing.

Drool.

He sat up and wiped his own mouth to make sure it wasn't his own then looked down to the slumbering man beside him.

Grimmjow, sleeping soundly, was missing his usual scowl. That always seemed to happen when he slept. But how could he be upset in any way whatsoever? He had gotten his wish last night, to sleep right next to his strawberry. Why shouldn't he be content?

After looking over the wet pillow, Ichigo realized it had been quite some time since he had to deal with this particular issue. And he missed it greatly because the cause of it was a habit of someone he had grown to love the most in this world.

When Grimmjow turned onto his back and threw one of his arms behind his head, the boy couldn't help but smile.

He reached his hand over and gently ran his fingers over the bluenette's lips affectionately. How much he missed them…

He got a long, memorable taste of them last night, and was grateful Grimmjow thought it was just a dream.

Once he noticed cerulean eyes opening, he turned and pretended to rub his eyes. Couldn't let Grimmjow know he was enjoying this closeness. It wasn't right to lead him down a dead end like that.

For now, distant and platonic was just the way things had to be.

"Still here I see." The cerulean haired man said before flashing his pearly white teeth.

"Yeah, well I didn't know if you saying you didn't want to wake and find me gone was a part of the deal or not."

"It wasn't."

When Grimmjow reached out for the boy, he only grasped air.

Ichigo quickly stood up and dressed himself, ready to begin another day of observations. If he and Grimmjow were seen coming out of the same tent, he wondered if that would that be a good thing.

His friends were already getting suspicious, so maybe to keep their break up a secret from them, he'd need to spend the day finishing his assignment with Grimmjow.

"Grimm, get dressed. We're doing the last parts of the assignment together."

Said man yawned, but did what he was told. The more time he could spend with Kurosaki the better.

* * *

Senna sat up in a tree while leaning against the bark, reading a manga release she had missed out on Tuesday on her cell phone. She was waiting patiently. For Renji.

There was a bee hive at the end of the branch just below her that was just begging to be dropped on him and she had seen him coming down this path a little earlier.

She had finished her environmental assignment yesterday with Rukia. Inoue kept her promise and did her assignment with Chizuru and the other girls.

That girl had an obsession with Inoue that you'd have to be a complete ditz to miss.

"Inoue doesn't seem to know though…" she said.

When she heard a voice approaching, she sat up and readied her mini razor for cutting.

It was Renji like she had expected it to be, but he was with Shuhei.

"Damnit… Of course he'd be with him…"

Shuhei, enjoying the nature walk with his boyfriend, noticed a slight rustle in the tree just up ahead. He kept talking like nothing was out of the ordinary, but inconspicuously stole a glance up past the lower branches and saw it was Senna.

Then, as he and Renji walked under the tree, he noticed the bee hive.

" _I know she must be planning to drop it. She could have done so a few moments ago, but why didn't she?"_ he thought, then stopped directly under the tree.

"What's wrong, Shuhei?" Renji asked.

"I have something in my eye…" said man answered before rubbing his left eye as though it were true.

"Let me help you."

Renji moved closer and blew harshly into the other's eye.

Senna sighed and sat back into her earlier position, making Shuhei realize why she didn't drop the hive.

"Renji, I want to know something."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Senna, what do you think of her? Really. Give me your honest opinion." the shorter boy said after continuing their stroll.

"What makes you ask something like that?"

"Well, I kind of owe it to her, Rangiku-san, and Ichigo for giving me the courage to tell you how I feel about you and now we're together. I know how you truly feel about the others, but I don't know what you really think of her."

Senna's interest was sparked. She climbed down the tree and stealthily followed the two until they came to an overhang with a waterfall on the other side of it.

"Senna… Hm… I don't know. I guess now I think of her as a kid sister. I thought she was kind of attractive when I first met her, but that wore off the second we talked to each other."

"So, you care about her at least?"

"Well, I wouldn't say anything like  _love_ , but yeah, I do feel for her. She's one of the group. Which is why I punched that security guard when he dropped her back at Los Noches."

"That sure surprised everyone…"

"I know we might argue and fight and prank each other, but it's all in good fun. I'd never go so far as to hurt her…intentionally…"

"Think you'll ever tell her that?"

"No way, never. Absolutely not. She'd get the upper hand on me then and I can't ever have that."

Senna stood in place with her hands clasping her chest. She never knew Renji cared about her in any way whatsoever. He came off as just an obnoxious idiot who liked to pester her if she was honest with herself.

Apparently, their sibling relationship had a mutual feel to it.

She was immediately glad she didn't cut that hive down on the redhead. This little discovery was a better reward than what she was hoping for with that plan. Though, she wouldn't have cut it down anyway since the clean-slated Shuhei was with him.

For now, she'd back off as long as Renji did the same. A truce of sorts. Perhaps it was time to have a more mature relationship. Not that she didn't see any arguments coming, those were assured, but at least she'd stop pranking him.

And for the first time, she genuinely smiled at the thought of the redhead. It was nice knowing there were people in this world that truly cared about her beyond just her parents, Ichigo and the girls.

* * *

As carefully as he possibly could, Ichigo followed Grimmjow down an old path that led to who knows where.

The two weren't headed in any particular direction, just walking. Passing the day by with each other.

It was the least the orange headed boy felt he could do to let Grimmjow know that they were still friends, apart from letting him sleep in his tent. Though, that part was a bit of an unexpected call on a deal Ichigo had made with him a long time ago.

Grimmjow remembering it up until now meant that he had been saving it for something.

" _But why something that small?"_ he thought.

Although the events from last night had not fled his own memory, Ichigo knew the other could not have expected something that major to happen. More importantly, he assumed it was all just a dream.

The taller man turned around from his small distance ahead while holding a tree branch out of the way, "What are you spacing out for? Pick up the pace, pansy. I'm holding this itchy ass branch for you."

"Shut up! We're not even going anywhere in particular! In fact, we're just getting more and more lost from the group… I think we should turn back…"

"Where's your sense of adventure? Huh? You come all the way out here to Hokkaidō and get the chance to explore this big ass national park, but you wanna spend your time hiding under your crazy teacher's bosom? Maybe you aren't the Kurosaki I thought you were."

Ichigo stopped his already slowed pace. Those words, particularly the last ones, hurt him something fierce. Not the person he thought he was? As if! He was  _ten_  times the person Grimmjow thought he was!

"I already told you to be quiet… I'm not giving up. I'm just being rational. What sense is there in getting lost out in an unfamiliar land? There are animals in this park too, you know; really dangerous ones."

"You can turn back if you want to, but I'm going on ahead. See you at the tent." The bluenette said before turning and continuing on the foreboding path.

"…Idiot…" Ichigo turned around and headed back to camp. There was no way he was stupid enough to be baited into following a nimrod down an old, unused, and probably treacherous path.

He was definite in his conviction to go back to the others until he saw some dark and heavy looking storm clouds on the horizon.

"Miss Misato never mentioned  _this_ …" he commented, annoyed at the approaching shift in weather.

The boy turned and wondered if Grimmjow was aware of the looming storm.

"Did he actually turn around when he saw that I wasn't following him? Or did he just keep going?" he asked aloud.

The wind blew against him, and he took it as a sign that he should go back and retrieve the stubborn man.

"I wonder if a storm will be enough to convince him to come back with me…" he wondered before turning around and following Grimmjow's path yet again.

* * *

Grimmjow, now standing behind a tree, watched as a bear stood in the river just below the ledge not too far from where he was stalking. After pulling the map he had been given by the teachers from his back pocket, he saw he was right at the Ishikari River.

When the bear roared, he turned his attention to it. The large beast was busy trying to catch fish to notice it was being watched stealthily.

Any sudden movements or sounds would surely draw its attention.

"Grimm! There you are!" Ichigo called loudly, "I've been looking-"

"Kurosaki!" said man yelled and tackled the boy to the ground before swiftly covering his mouth, "There's a thousand fucking pound bear down there! Shut your pie hole or it'll hear you!"

Ichigo looked down and noticed the large, warm, and sweaty hand covering his mouth. He blushed and quickly pushed Grimmjow off of him.

"As if it'd be my fault if it found us. You were makin' more noise than me. I was just trying to warn you about the storm-"

*AOOOORRRRROOOOAAAR*

The two turned and noticed the thunderously loud bear down near the riverbank. It was looking directly at them and once it made eye contact, it immediately jumped into the water, heading over to the lowest part of the ledge to climb up to them. It clearly saw them as easy pickings compared to the fish in the river.

"See what you've done!?" Grimmjow asked with hysterically wide eyes.

"All we have to do is…uh, climb a tree! Adult bears can't climb as well as cubs! We'll be safe in a tree!"

Grimmjow stood and helped Ichigo off the ground before they both ran as fast as they could to the forest they had both came from.

But the bear had climbed the ledge and was now fast approaching.

"Kurosaki, go up first!"

"Grimm, I-"

"Go damn it!"

Grimmjow offered his hands as a boost, but before Ichigo could use it to get up, the bear had slowed and was walking only a few meters away from them.

It roared again before standing on its hind legs, trying to challenge and intimidate Grimmjow.

With angry blue eyes, the larger man pushed Ichigo aside and got ready to tackle the bear.

"Grimm, what the hell are you doing!? Don't crouch! You have to look big not small, baka!"

"There's no way this guy's gonna think I'm bigger than he is."

The bear leaned slightly forward and pawed Grimmjow to the ground causing Ichigo to freeze in fear. As it moved closer, about to tear at its prey, it suddenly stopped.

The wind was blowing hard but that wasn't the reason for its halt.

Grimmjow turned and saw, through the trees, the storm that was coming their way. With it, a brilliant yet terrifying display of lightning with a few strikes of thunder crashing about as well.

The bear turned and ran as fast as it could back to the shelter of the cave it likely dwelt in.

Ichigo was shaken from his near petrified state and moved over to Grimmjow with great haste when he saw red covering him.

His left arm was bleeding tremendously. The bear had actually scratched him when it knocked him to the ground.

"Grimmjow! Are you still with me!? Say something!" he frantically ordered.

"I'm fine… Damn… That sucker did a number on me though…" the man responded while gripping his arm tightly.

"I'll treat you right away!" Ichigo said, pulling out a first aid kit from his small booksack.

Grimmjow moaned when the boy had finished sterilizing and gauzing the cuts.

"You think you're okay to walk?"

"Yeah. You know I'm-"

"Yeah yeah. You're no pansy like me. I know."

"Bingo."

Ichigo put away his utensils and placed the kit back inside his bag before helping Grimmjow stand.

After being shrugged off, he reduced himself to walking a few paces behind the other man.

When they came to the ledge, Grimmjow stopped and stared off the side of it from a bit of a distance.

And he looked so epically cool while doing it too. Ichigo felt his cheeks get hot again at the thought of last night coming to plague his mind once more.

How much he must have hurt Grimmjow to have him think he was dreaming about him.

"I never meant to hurt you…" he whispered.

"Huh?" the bluenette turned and eyed the boy down.

"Oh, uh, nothing." Ichigo started walking all the way to the edge of the ledge and stopping, "I was just thinking…"

"That's nothing new."

"This time, I was wondering what the world would be like without me… What you would be like without me…"

"What the hell are you going on about, Kurosaki? Get back from the edge like that or you won't have to wonder."

"I've… caused you so much pain. I've brought nothing but sorrow into your life since that evening you found Ginjo on top of me, and I'm so sorry for that."

"You explained everything to me. It's fine."

"But what if it wasn't fine? What if he made me-"

"Kurosaki!"

Ichigo felt the ground around him start to crumble away. He was scared. So scared.

The world had seemed to slow and everything was deafeningly loud.

He turned to Grimmjow regrettably, who was now sprinting towards him in a desperate attempt to save him.

As the ledge broke and his footing was lost, he was not.

He glanced down at the many rocks now falling into the rushing river and then turned to see that Grimmjow had caught his arm, holding him in place.

"Kurosaki… I'm gonna pull you up…"

"Grimm, just let go. It's not worth it!"

"What was that!?"

"Your wounds aren't closed! You'll bleed to death if you don't stop!" the boy said when he noticed the trails of blood streaming down Grimmjow's arm.

The bluenette panted heavily as he struggled to hold Ichigo in place, let alone try to pull him up, "I won't… ever let go… I'll never give up on you, Kurosaki!"

It was true that thanks to the sharp, stinging pain in his left arm he was weakened, but he wasn't about to give up when the life of the only person who ever truly believed in him and saw the good in him was in his desperate hands.

"Why Grimm…? WHY ARE YOU BEING SUCH AN ENORMOUS FOOL!?"

Grimmjow smiled down through the pain to the boy, "Because I never knew what love was until I forced myself into your life and you took me in."

"Grimmjow… Grimmjow! The rocks are crumbling at your feet! Let me go!"

Said man glanced down and noticed the ground was indeed crumbling around him. It must have been too much of a strain to have near three hundred pounds of men to support.

He tried with one last haul to pull Ichigo up before they fell, but it was in vain, "Shit…"

That was the last thing he said before he and Ichigo fell into the rushing river. He fell in so deep that he hit his head and everything immediately faded out.

Ichigo somehow managed to avoid the bottom of the deep river and swam back to the surface.

The storm that was rolling in had finally arrived. The two in the river were now flowing to an unknown destination. One of them unconscious near the bottom and the other fighting the water trying to swim and save his ex lover, all the while remembering that day his mother died near a rushing river.

It was a struggle indeed.

* * *

"Anyway, don't think I'm giving up on you so easily. I know we're just friends for now, but I want more than that with you. And if I have to move the stars or the ground beneath my feet, I'm gonna make it happen."


	24. Lovely Lights

Thursday evening.

Black.

That's all he could see when he awakened.

Wherever he was, it was dark, cold, and quite uncomfortable too. The fact that he was only in his soaked boxers didn't make him feel any better about this situation.

Grimmjow brought his hand up to his mess of blue hair that was dripping wet and rubbed his aching head. When he remembered what had happened before he blacked out, he shot up, nearly throwing up from the wooziness that caused.

"Shit! Kurosakiii!"

He looked around and noticed he was inside a cave, the entrance being a ways above him. The light said entrance provided revealed a path that led to it.

After standing, he headed up the path but stopped when he heard a sound.

"Grimmjow, where are you going?" Ichigo asked as he emerged from the darkness at the other end of the cave.

He too was only in his underclothes… though he was still wearing a t-shirt.

"Kurosaki… I see you survived."

"Thanks? What kind of greeting is that?"

"A stupid one… Where the hell are we?"

Ichigo turned back in the direction he had come from, "Inside a cave of some sort…"

"Thanks genius, I couldn't tell already."

"If you'd let me finish! There's something weird further in."

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow, "Like what?"

"Follow me."

The bluenette made to do just that. After going back down to where he woke up from, he trailed close behind Ichigo.

When the shorter boy abruptly stopped, he ran right into him.

"What the hell-"

"Look." Ichigo said.

"It's dark as hell, I can barely see  _you_. What makes you think I'll be able to see whatever it is you're talking about?"

"Just shut up and watch…"

It took a few moments before anything happened, but then suddenly tiny bursts of dim light appeared on the walls and led down to a source of clear water. When they reached the bottom, they lit the water itself in a vibrant display of blue light.

"What is that?" Grimmjow asked.

"I don't know, and I also don't have any way of documenting it since my phone got ruined when we fell into the water." Ichigo sighed.

"How the hell did we survive that anyway?"

"Oh…" the boy turned to Grimmjow and told him everything that happened.

Flashback

The river current was powerful. Too powerful.

Ichigo had resurfaced in the center and saw that the sky was about to open up on him. He tried swimming to the shallow end, the thought of deep water terrifying him to no end, until he remembered he hadn't fallen alone.

Glancing around frantically, he looked for Grimmjow. Any sign of him would do.

When he couldn't find him, he fought his greatest fear and dove down into the water. It was too hard to see anything though. Not being able to reach the bottom only made him fret more.

After resurfacing, he saw something floating just behind him.

It was the backside of Grimmjow's jacket. He was face down in the water, which wasn't good in the least.

Quickly, he swam over to him and grabbed him into a protective embrace before swimming to the shoreline.

As soon as they got out of the water, he performed CPR on him in a desperate attempt to save his life.

When Grimmjow coughed the water out of his system, Ichigo smiled and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"I saved him, mom…" he grinned before tears fell down his face.

His mother had died next to a river after saving him when he had fallen in and was shot by a robber when she emerged on the shore. Again, her forgotten purse had drawn unwanted attention to her and her son.

The last thing she did before breathing her last breath was cover her son's body with her own, kissed his forehead, and told him she loved him dearly.

The memory was brought up in this situation because losing someone else thanks to his own carelessness with water terrified him.

But he had saved Grimmjow.

With all the strength he could muster, he lifted the heavier man onto his back and carried him as quickly as he could to a cave that came into view once he got over a hill.

End Flashback

Grimmjow took everything he had heard in.

Ignoring his own near fatal experience, he asked something that seemed as if it needed to be addressed, "Your mother died after saving you?"

"…Yeah…"

"What a woman she must have been."

"Grimm… It was all my fault… I know it… My dad told me it wasn't when I asked him if he thought so, and he assured me that he didn't blame me for it... but if I hadn't been playing near the river, I never would have fallen in. Mom wouldn't have left her things and we would have gone home safe and sound that day… It was all my fault…" Ichigo said, feeling his voice faltering from the miserable memory.

He fell to his knees and let the tears leave him, not caring what Grimmjow thought of him for doing so.

"I couldn't let it happen again… I couldn't lose someone else… Not again…"

Grimmjow stood in place, looking down at the broken boy right in front of him who was on his knees and crying.

Ichigo bent over and slammed his fists onto the ground. His mother, his loving mother, had given her life to save her foolish child. He had caused her death and nearly caused Grimmjow's today. Not to mention breaking all the promises he had made up until now.

When Grimmjow walked around him and bent down just ahead of him, Ichigo ignored the man.

Howerver, he could not ignore the arms that lifted him and grabbed him into a warm hug.

"Grimm-" he began, his arms suspended in the air at either side of the larger bluenette.

"Stop the fucking crying, Kurosaki. What kind of mother wouldn't save her own child? Stop blaming yourself for what happened. She's in a better place now, watching over you. You think she'd be happy to see you balling your eyes out and thinking you were the one who caused her death?"

Ichigo turned to avoid looking at Grimmjow altogether, "What do you know…? Both of your parents are still alive… Even if they don't acknowledge you…" the boy said but regretted it the moment it was put out in the open.

Grimmjow's grip on him didn't falter, it only tightened.

"That doesn't change the fact that there are people out there whose parents do love them. Or loved them. Your words can't hurt me because I know they come from the grief you've felt over this all this time. But you know, just like you lost someone precious, I did too."

Brown eyes went wide.

"I lost you. Despite that, you're still right here in front of me. You don't know how much that kills me. But I won't stop loving you because I remember what you made me promise you."

"Promise?"

"Heh, you probably don't even remember. But that night under the cherry blossom trees, you made me promise to keep the same love for you, always. No matter the distance. And I have. You don't have to keep that promise, but for as long as I live, I'll keep you safe in your mother's place. And love you unconditionally. Even if you don't accept me for it."

"Grimm…" Ichigo cried harder than he had before but returned the hug. He tightly embraced Grimmjow before burying his face in the man's chest.

Even if he were to spend the rest of his life being hated for it, Grimmjow was willing to love and protect him. That was so selfless. And it made Ichigo realize that no matter what, what he had with this man was too strong to break. This was love. This is what his mother would have wanted for him.

Happiness.

With his nose buried in the valley of Grimmjow's chest, he could feel the beating of his heart. One that was big and full of so much strife, yet so much love as well. Without a heart, what were people?

Could they even be considered human? Would moments like these exist?

"Stop the crying already…"

Ichigo forced Grimmjow to the ground and pressed his lips to his cheek, "Thank you, Grimmjow. I mean it."

Said man turned to the boy lying on top of him, "You know, for a pussy, you're not so bad. That's why I like you so much."

The orange haired boy got up and wiped his eyes dry before he stood, "Let's get back to the others."

"Right. This cave is giving me a strange feeling…"

Grimmjow stood as well and turned to the fading lights at the bottom of the water. For a second, he thought he saw them spell out the words 'thank you'.

It must have been his imagination though.

* * *

Due to the thunderous storm that had arrived earlier today, orders from the park rangers forced the students from Karakura High to move into one of the vacant auditoriums to stay the night.

Immediately upon arrival into the building, Ichigo's group noticed he was missing.

The same with Grimmjow's friends.

All of them were now crowded around Miss Misato, who stood her ground even though she was backed into a corner.

"Ichigo is missing! Do something!" Senna said.

"Please, Misato-san!" Inoue begged.

"Aw, worried about your  _boyfriend_?" Szayel turned and asked.

Rukia turned to him, "Grimmjow is out there too, you know."

"Figures the two of them would get lost together, huh? We know full well about their little relationship." Szayel said.

"And? Why are you bringing that up?" Shuhei asked.

"Because we know as long as he cares about the little emo kid, Grimmjow won't let any harm come to the weak brat." Nnoitora commented.

"What was that!?" Renji asked, but before he could do anything in retaliation, Chad placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"We just want this broad to get someone to go out there and find them." Aaroniero spoke irritatedly.

" _Excuse_  me!?" Mis Misato asked.

"I'm really just here for the fun of arguing and listening to you kids cry cuz your leader is missing." Nnoitora grinned.

"All of you better step off or it'll get real in here awful quick!" the cornered woman shouted, drawing the attention of everyone in the large room.

"We just want you to find Grimmjow. And the other kid too, if he survived. I doubt he weighed enough to withstand the strong winds though." Szayel smirked.

"Figures you'd assume everyone around you wouldn't be smart enough to take refuge or be able to fasten themselves to a sturdy object. How condescending." Ishida commented while adjusting his glasses.

"What was that?" the pink haired boy asked.

Every one of Ichigo's friends turned to Ishida in surprise for a moment. Was he implying, after all his own condescension on the orange head, that Ichigo was competent?

"Arguing isn't getting us anywhere." Senna said.

"Kurosaki-kun…" Inoue said in a lowered voice.

"If you kids don't get back to your seats, I'll have you suspended-"

Just then, a fierce thunderbolt hit the ground outside and the lights flickered.

"The lights are gonna go out!" Rangiku shouted from her cozy seat under a blanket across the room.

The boys surrounding her jumped and took cover behind her.

"Uh! Some protection any of you are! Beat it! I need a real man!"

When everyone turned back to Miss Misato to yell at her, the quieter teacher up near the entrance of the auditorium gasped.

"The two missing students are here!" she called.

Everyone quickly left Miss Misato, who slid to the ground for a moment, then got up and went to the entrance.

And there they were, Grimmjow and Ichigo, fully dressed mind you, running to the auditorium through the rapid winds and raindrops.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

"Ichigo!" Senna and Renji shouted happily.

Nnoitora, seeing that the arguing was over, went to take his seat in the bottom rows of seats.

"I see you didn't die… No doubt Grimmjow saved you." Szayel said to Ichigo when he got inside.

"Actually, he saved  _me_  when we fell into the river." Grimmjow corrected.

"Fell into the river!?" Miss Misato echoed.

Rukia, Inoue, and Senna grabbed Ichigo into a hug, causing him to smile.

"We're so glad you didn't die!" Senna shouted.

Ichigo looked down to them, and was glad that Senna was worried about him.

"I'm okay, guys. Thanks for the concern."

As Grimmjow followed his group back to their seats, Ichigo sighed. What he had done for him today really proved that his love was true.

There was no doubt in his mind his mother would appreciate his strong words that lifted him from his despair.

He blushed and looked away when Grimmjow turned and stared at him briefly. That man really knew how to get to him in the worst and the best ways.


	25. The Worst Possible News

Friday evening after returning from the camping trip.

While talking on the phone to Rukia about a new anime that had appealed to them both, Ichigo washed the dishes from tonight's dinner. He figured it was about time someone gave Yuzu a break from her strict regimen, after all. It had literally taken both Karin and their father to restrain her from doing it herself.

"You're so mean, Onii-chan!" the auburn haired girl said from the couch.

"I know, Yuzu. I know." The boy responded as he rinsed the soap suds from plate he was holding.

" _Ichigo, there's something I want to ask you."_  Rukia said.

"Go ahead."

" _Well… I'm just wondering if you're okay… Are you…? Lately, you've seemed a little detached and depressed…"_

Ichigo froze. This was the second time Rukia had wondered about his well being and noted his odd behavior. It would only be a matter of time before she learned the truth. Because if Neliel knew about Ginjo, everyone else would likely find out about him as well.

"I'm fine, Rukia. Thanks for being so concerned about me though. I appreciate it."

Rukia sat on her bed and held the phone to her ear silently. But in her head she was not so calm.

Ichigo was hiding something. Something big. And it appeared that he didn't trust his friends enough to tell them about it. The thought of him feeling that way unsettled her.

For a moment, the girl wondered if she should visit Grimmjow and ask him a few questions instead of trying to get anything out of Ichigo. But that would be even more futile than what she was doing right now.

Grimmjow didn't seem like the type to reveal his feelings or secrets to people he barely knew.

" _Okay, but we're all here for you if you need us. You know that, right?"_  she asked.

"Right." Ichigo responded, "Hey, I have to go. I'll call you later."

" _Okay."_

Ichigo hung up the phone and finished washing the rest of the dishes before heading up to his room. On his way, Yuzu eyed him with a hurt expression on her face.

He smiled to her nonetheless, knowing he had done her a favor, and continued up the stairs.

Just as soon as he reached his room however, the doorbell rang.

"I got it!" Karin called.

Ichigo walked back to the stairwell and peered down when Karin opened the door.

It was Grimmjow, standing in all his handsome glory.

"Hi Grimmjow. It's been a while since I last saw you come here." The raven haired girl smiled.

"Yeah, I've been busy these days…" Grimmjow responded, "Is Ichigo here?"

"He is, come on in."

Ichigo walked down the stairs and into the parlor to meet the man.

"It's not often I hear you call me by my first name." He said with a smile.

"Kurosaki, can we talk?"

"Sure… Come on up to my room."

Yuzu and Karin watched as the two of them silently climbed the stairs and rounded the corner.

"I hope Ichigo's not in trouble…" Yuzu commented, completely forgetting her frustration about not being able to wash the dishes.

Karin stood in place for a few seconds before turning around and glancing outside. It seemed as if it was going to rain tonight. She sighed and closed the front door. The strangest feeling about all of this welled up inside of her.

* * *

Upon getting to his room, Ichigo closed the door behind himself and watched as Grimmjow went and sat on his bed.

The air in the room grew thick with anticipation, anxiety, and awkwardness. It took a moment, but he mustered the courage to speak, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Kurosaki, I want to be completely serious with you for a moment. Hear me out, okay?"

"Of course I will." The boy said without hesitation.

"I remember that night when you said I didn't need to change; that there was nothing wrong with the old me. And I'm glad you told me that, I really am. But I know my temper needs some tuning so I've been working on that, for my sake not just for the sake of getting you back. But after all is said and done, I know it'll benefit us both."

"…"

"And so, I want to know… Is it possible that after all we've been through, after how close we've become in this time we've been apart… Is it possible that you want to get back together?"

Ichigo froze for a second time tonight. He knew this was coming, but he had hoped it wouldn't be this soon. Ginjo was still in the picture even while being out of the picture, which meant he couldn't accept this offer.

As painful as it was for him, he responded, "Grimmjow, I care about you a lot. You've really become one of my best friends and now I… I don't want to see you in any other way… So no. I can't be with you again. Please understand my feelings about this too."

After staring at the boy for a few seconds, the bluenette brought his hands together and looked down to them. He was completely crestfallen thanks to that response.

"Do you still love me, Kurosaki?" he asked.

"Grimmjow…"

"Do you still love me?" Grimmjow asked again, after looking up into the boy's brown eyes seriously.

Ichigo averted his gaze and looked to his desk, "… I… I can't answer that… I'm not sure anymore…"

"'You know, I think I do understand your feelings. You're much colder than I expected you to be, Kurosaki." The man said before getting up off the bed and walking to the door.

"Grimmjow… Grimmjow where are you going?"

"Out for a drink. I can't deal with my emotions right now. But you probably don't care about that, do you?"

Ichigo stood in place, unable to speak, and could only watch as Grimmjow left his room. Now he was determined to deal with Ginjo as soon as he returned to Karakura. For his ow sake, for Grimmjow's sake, and for everyone else's since they all seemed to be figuring things out on their own.

"Be safe, Grimmjow." He commented before going to sit on his bed.

…

The same night.

After taking a hot bath and watching a little television to distract himself, Ichigo decided he would go to sleep early tonight. He was really depressed about what had happened between him and Grimmjow just a few hours ago.

Sleep would hopefully quell his forlorn thoughts.

After looking over his homework for a few minutes, he got into bed and burrowed under the sheets.

The rain falling outside tapped heavily against his window and for a moment, he kind of wished it was Grimmjow trying to get in like the old times.

Upon sitting up and pulling back the curtains, he was disheartened to find that it was only the rain.

He stared at the hopelessly dark shy. A terrible storm had rolled into Karakura, but he was at least grateful that he didn't have anywhere to go tomorrow.

Hopefully Grimmjow hadn't drank too much tonight, considering the weather and the fact that driving while intoxicated was just a bad idea.

"I think… it's time to tell Grimm about Ginjo…" he said quietly before falling back onto his pillow.

He deserved to know at least. Hopefully he'd just walk away from the situation and have the future he was unknowingly granted.

Suddenly, his replacement phone vibrated.

He pulled it from underneath his pillow and unlocked it. Hopefully it was Grimmjow wanting to come over.

" _I'm back in town, Ichigo and looking forward to seeing you again."_  – Ginjo

Words could not express the devastating disappointment Ichigo felt upon reading that. First Grimmjow comes and asks to be together again and he turns him down. Now the problem had returned to town. It was as if things were going from bad to worse.

But this was the chance he'd been waiting for. It was time to finally put an end to this ordeal, once and for all.

"I'll end things with him tomorrow" the orange head said before closing his eyes and giving in to sleep's overpowering embrace.

*BANG BANG BANG BANG*

"ICHIGO! ICHIGO, OPEN THE DOOR! PLEASE!"

Said boy, having nearly fallen asleep, sat up abruptly from his bed. It was Neliel. She was banging desperately on his front door in the pouring rain.

He jumped out from under the sheets and dashed out of his room to the front door.

Once he opened it, he could see that Neliel had obviously run here. She was out of breath and in tears, not to mention drenched from head to toe.

In the dropping temperature, she'd surely get sick if she didn't get into some dry clothes.

"Neliel, what's wrong?" he asked, with a confused expression on his face after letting her inside.

The girl panted heavily and fell onto her knees before sobbing uncontrollably. It took a moment before she could calm herself enough to speak, but she was able to get out what she needed to say. "Grimmjow… He's in the ICU at the hospital!"


	26. Unconditional Love

The heavy rain didn't matter. The freezing cold winds didn't matter. Being soaked to the bone didn't matter either. Not even the gloomy gray sky registered to the boy speeding hastily through the streets of Karakura.

As he sprinted through town in order to reach the Ishida family hospital, Ichigo could barely feel anything besides anxiety. Grimmjow was hurt, in critical condition given that he was in the ICU, and he needed to be there for him.

When the towering building he'd been seeking came into his sights, the boy increased his speed. He was going so fast he slipped on the slicked sidewalk and fell onto his face. It was when he lifted himself up onto his arms that he noticed he was crying.

"Shit…" he commented before quickly wiping his eyes with his soaking wet sleeve.

After picking himself up off the ground, he continued on his way to the place where Grimmjow was. And as he ran, he couldn't help but want to be with him again. It was now that he fully accepted that the aggressive, immature man was his everything and that he absolutely could not live without him.

He was stuck on that thought until he reached the hospital.

Ichigo ran through the front doors, into the lobby full of patients, and then past the front desk with the woman screaming for him to give her his information. Luckily he knew this place like the back of his hand thanks to all those days of visiting Ishida with everyone to help him when he needed it.

And speak of the devil, Ishida rounded the corner and nearly had a heart attack from almost being run over. But Ichigo stopped and nearly slid into a wall to avoid hitting him. The boy bent over and leaned against said wall, breathing heavily. For as much as he was panting, he felt like he was out really of shape.

"Kurosaki…" Ishida said, already anticipating his friend's emotions.

Ichigo regained what he could of his composure in order to get what he needed to say out, "Ishida, where's Grimmjow?! Can you take me to him!?"

"Jaegerjaques is in the SICU* now... And if you don't get out of those cold, wet clothes, you'll be visiting the ICU." Ishida commented, then looked down to his clipboard, "Come with me. I can't allow you inside while the surgeons are working."

"Surgeons?! Ishida, what happened to Grimmjow?! Let me see him! Please!"

"You aren't allowed into the surgery room and you know it. I will tell you what I know though, so come with me. We'll go to one of the empty rooms and get you something dry to wear."

Ichigo turned and watched Ishida head in the opposite direction of where he was going, feeling nothing but frustration. He knew from the start he wouldn't have been able to see Grimmjow if he was still in the ICU let alone the SICU, but just as had been claimed about Inoue, he lost all rationality when he was in danger too.

He turned and followed Ishida to the second floor. And then he remembered that the other had said he'd tell him what happened.

"Ishida, what happened to Grimmjow? Why does he need surgeons?"

The dark-haired man turned to Ichigo as they walked through the hallway, "You really do care about him, don't you?"

"Of course I do! Please tell me, Ishida. I need to know..."

"Very well." After looking his clipboard over again, Ishida began his assessment, "It appears he had quite a few wounds. If the report is correct, I think he got into a serious car accident and took significant head trauma from that. There was also a gaping wound going straight down his torso that appears to be the result of a sharp weapon. His knuckles were swollen and bleeding, which leads me to believe he was involved in a near fatal fight. His blood alcohol level was elevated, so he was probably drinking. Let's just hope he wasn't drunk driving…"

Ichigo took everything his friend said in as best he could in complete silence. What a horrible outcome this situation had taken. He wasn't expecting this when Grimmjow left him earlier, even if it had been in anger.

"I know that's a lot for you to bear right now, but you can rest assured that we have some of the best surgeons in Karakura, if not Japan, here at our hospital. They'll save his life."

"Right… Thanks, Ishida."

The two of them came to a stop in the hallway next to an empty patient room.

"Here, you can change into some dry scrubs in this room. You're practically a doctor so I'm sure my father won't mind. You should probably shower before you get into them though. I'd hate for you to get sick over foolishly running through the rain in the freezing cold. How imprudent of you…"

Ichigo walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Ishida was being annoying about it, but he was right. There was no need for him to get sick over this. Who'd be there waiting for Grimmjow when he got out of the SICU if he did?

After stripping out of his wet clothes, he went into the bathroom and showered. It was relaxing, of course, but the thought of Grimmjow's condition still remained to plague his thoughts. What were the surgeons doing to him right now? Was he okay? Had he lost too much blood? Would he… die…?

One can only assume the worst after hearing what had happened to him. What caused him to be fighting someone anyway? And while he was full of alcohol at that! It kind of felt like someone was trying to get rid of Grimmjow, given the circumstances. But that didn't make sense because Grimmjow had honestly been making an effort to live a better life.

As he stepped out of the shower, Ichigo let a creeping suspicion about Ginjo playing a part in this rise. "Would he really go that far to be with me?" he asked out loud.

That thought was crossing the line of insanity. Sure Ginjo was manipulative, but he didn't seem like a common murderer.

Once he had dried himself off, the orange headed boy walked solemnly into the room he assumed he could use for the night. Ishida had apparently come back in because there were some casual clothes on the bed for him to wear. Honestly, nothing mattered to him when he left his house. Grimmjow had been hurt, and he was determined to be there for him.

All because he meant the world and more to him.

"I guess some sleep would help… Worrying won't get me anywhere." he commeneted before putting on the clothes and getting into the hospital bed. "Pull through Grimmjow, please…" He ended after getting under the covers and closing his eyes.

* * *

Upon waking to the sun's dazzling light flooding in through the blinds in the room, Ichigo pulled the sheets over his head. He was really thankful he hadn't caught a cold from running through the rain last night. Hopefully Neliel had gotten as lucky as he did.

For a moment, he wondered how everyone reacted when they discovered her in the clinic. His father probably overreacted and hit on her.

But there were far more important matters to be concerned about. Grimmjow was probably out of surgery, so he hoped he'd be able to see him today. At least he had some time to calm down and gather his thoughts before he did. Not to mention rest.

After pulling his phone from the pockets of the scrubs he'd been wearing that were now lying on the floor, he saw that he had a new message.

"Jaegerjaques is on the third floor, room 312." – Ishida

Without hesitation, Ichigo threw the sheets back, jetted out of his room, and ran up the stairwell. Waiting for an elevator was out of the question.

It didn't take him too long to get to room 312. He had to stop and catch his breath before he knocked, he had run just that fast.

Ishida opened the door and adjusted his glasses, "Not wearing any shoes and you probably didn't even brush your teeth or wash your face… I should have given you the chance to actually get decent before sending that message…"

Ichigo ignored his glasses wearing friend and walked into the room, eyes glued on the slumbering man on the bed. Grimmjow. He was breathing regularly and there was no real damage on the face he was so proud of either. Just a few scratches here and there.

"Grimmjow…" he said, voice full of relief.

If he lost him… And before he could tell him how much he still loved him… It'd be another devastating blow, similar to what happened with his mother.

"He's fine, Kurosaki. He needs some rest, but he's going to be okay. He has stitches going from his chest to his lower abdomen and his knuckles have become much less inflamed. So you don't need to worry so much. Take it easy, okay."

"Thank you, Ishida. I just… don't know what I'd do if I lost him…"

The boy walked over to Grimmjow and pulled back the sheets then slowly moved his hospital gown aside to see the extent of the damage.

"You're not supposed to do that… but since you and Jaegerjaques have an… outstanding history together, I'll look the other way. …I've got some things to take care of so I'm going back to the first floor. Don't stay in here too long. If my father found out you were visiting a patient right out of surgery, he'd surely have my head for it."

"Right. Thanks again, Ishida."

After the dark-haired boy left the room, Ichigo sighed and took a seat in the seat next to Grimmjow's bed. It was then that he noticed a beautiful woman sitting on the opposite end of the room from him, reading a magazine. Her hair was short in the back, just a little longer in the front, and as white as snow. Her eyes were inviting, a beautiful shade of light blue too, and her skin was rosy.

She was dressed in a dark red button-down trench coat and was wearing leggings that showed off her attractive legs. Diamond earrings dangled elegantly from her ears. Despite her upscale choice in clothing, she was not wearing any makeup. It drew attention to her face, which was actually quite youthful.

Who one earth was this woman?

She noticed him staring and looked up from her magazine, "Hello, deary."

"H-hi…"

"You're here to visit Grimmy?" she asked with a smile.

" _Grimmy?"_  Ichigo thought. He realized the the woman was expecting a response. "Oh, yeah! I'm… one of his friends..."

"How splendid! You're the first one to come in here all morning. I assume no one else has arrived to see him since his father and Neliel were the only ones notified of his accident."

"… Um… Then how did you know about it? And if you don't mind me asking, who are you?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh, silly me! I've been told on multiple occasions that I don't properly introduce myself… I am Vivienne Jaegerjaques, Grimmjow's mother."

Brown eyes went wide. This beautiful woman, who didn't look much older than him, was Grimmjow's mother?! The woman who had abandoned him years ago? The woman who Grimmjow obviously detested had come to see him in his time of need…?

"The look on your face leads me to believe Grimmy has told you some unpleasant things about me. And I don't blame him… Seeing him in this condition, I suppose I never should have left him alone with his irresponsible father…"

"…"

Vivienne stood from her seat and walked over to the window to look out to the town, "This place hasn't changed one bit… Still the same as when I left."

"Ms. Jaegerjaques, I know it's out-of-place for me to ask, but why did you leave Grimmjow? He's been through so much because of you and his father… He thinks you hate him…"

Blue eyes turned to him, "I figure since he's told you that, I can tell you this tidbit to clear my name. I didn't leave Grimmjow to be spiteful, or because I hated him. I love my baby boy, dearly. He's the most precious thing in this world to me. It was his father who I couldn't tolerate… I… After living with him for as long as I did, I can't figure out why I ever tried to settle down with him…"

"…"

"He was always the senior who seemed unattainable in college, and somehow we found each other after we graduated. I was so glad because I had fallen for him much before then… And so when we met again and he treated me to dinner, we bonded and I figured we could actually be happy together. I got pregnant a few years after we married. I had attained the man of my dreams, let me tell you how happy I was. That was when I was twenty-two. I just knew a child would bring me closer to my husband, and draw him from his detached, religious ways. When Grimmy was born, I fell in love with him as soon as I saw him."

"Then why'd you leave him…?"

"Julian's religion got the better of him. He'd always been the type and I knew it, but I honestly thought I could change him from that buckled down mentality to serve only God and forget about the world. We humans all need to live a little, you know?" After turning back to the town, the woman continued, "I could only take so much of it. Everyday made me realize how incompatible we were. I stayed as long as I did for Grimmjow's sake. But when he started coming down on Grimmjow for showing no interest in religion, I knew I had to go. Leaving him was the toughest decision of my life, and I never stopped thinking of him. But he was better off here, not moving around so much. Children need a stable place to live, not being dragged along the coasts of dozens of different countries."

Ichigo turned and stared at Grimmjow.

This was a completely different take on this story. Grimmjow honestly thought his mother left because she didn't care about him. But it didn't have much to do with him at all. He turned his brown eyes back to the woman still standing at the window.

If she had taken him when she left, he never would have met him or Neliel. So in some ways, even though it seemed bad to him at the time, what happened was actually in Grimmjow's best interest.

"You know, for someone so beautiful, it's a shame you're just a good friend of Grimmy's. Perhaps he's got someone better though…" Vivienne commented after turning to look at the orange haired boy.

Ichigo blushed deeply and averted his eyes away from her piercing gaze. Her eyes were worse than Grimmjow's. They were also much brighter too.

It appeared that Grimmjow had taken his carefree and childish ways from his mother, but his looks from his father. The man he seemed to detest almost as much as Aizen had dark blue, near black hair, brown eyes, a sharp jaw line, and very tanned skin. He was also tall, which seemed to be the only other thing Grimmjow inherited from him. His mother was a little on the short side. Ichigo could tell from his seat next to the bed that he'd be taller than she was if he stood to his full height.

"I suppose I'll have to talk to Grimmy's boss to get him some time off… He'll never be able to work in this condition."

"Time off? What for?" Ichigo asked.

If Grimmjow took time off, he'd miss out on earning any money. And he'd need it too. Considering that he had been in a wreck, he'd either need to get his car repaired or to get a new one altogether.

"Well, after talking to Julian, I realize that something in this town is just out to eat my son alive. So I'll be taking him with me to Dubai for a while. And considering how you children will be on winter break soon, I think it's appropriate. He hates the cold anyway."

"You're… taking him away…?"

"Not forever. He'll be back by early January to finish his senior year at Karakura High. I just think he needs some time away from all of this chaos he's been going through here. I heard some things about him and I think some rest and relaxation will do him some good."

"Oh…"

"You seem very interested in my son and his affairs. Are you sure you're not in love with him? You have that air about you."

"W-what!? How- What air!?"

"I was your age once. Not too long ago either. I think I can spot deep affections by now, deary."

"You… You wouldn't mind if Grimmjow was sexually attracted to men…?"

Vivienne started giggling, "Absolutely not. He's my son and I'd love him regardless of something like that. A mother loves her child unconditionally, and that love is eternal. Why? What makes you ask me that?"

"Oh, well, it's just that his father isn't so accepting of his preferences…"

"OH, THAT DAMNED BAKA! Julian will get an earful from me when I see him again!" Vivienne fumed for a minute until something hit her, "Wait! How do you know that!? Have you been with Grimmy!? Oh I just knew it!"

Ichigo stared at the child-like woman in awe.

Like day and night. Grimmjow's parents were literally like day and night. One was uptight, austere, and closed-minded, while the other seemed free-spirited, relaxed, and quite secular when it came to interests. Just what would Grimmjow be like had he been raised by his mother instead of his father?

Questions like that rise when faced with an alternate path that could have been taken, like a different parenting style.

Although it seemed selfish, Ichigo was glad to have met and loved Grimmjow. Had he gone with Vivienne instead of staying with his father, they never would have met at all and that was a pretty disturbing thought.

Ichigo turned back to Grimmjow who was still sleeping soundly. Thank goodness he had made it through whatever happened to him.

He sighed. Having Grimmjow gone over the break and Ginjo back in town was quite the turnaround. In the short time he was gone, it kind of felt like Ginjo had dropped off the face of the earth. Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end.

But more importantly, Grimmjow would have a lot of work to make up for when he came back since he would be leaving before the semester's end.

"Are you good in Organic Chemistry? Grimmy is taking that course this year and I know he'll need to do some catching up when he gets back."

"ORGANIC CHEMISTRY!? Grimmjow is in Organic Chemistry!?"

"Yes. Neliel told me about it on the phone this morning. Are you taking it?"

"No… That's an advanced course… I'm not taking a science this year. I finished early. But I'll do my best to help him when he comes back home, I promise."

"Splendid!" she seemed fond of that word, Ichigo noted, "Thank you for being so good to my son. I think you two would make an adorable little couple. You really seem to care about him."

"… I have to go… But it was really nice meeting you, Ms. Jaegerjaques." Ichigo said before standing and walking to the door. With a final glance at Grimmjow, he turned to Vivienne again, "I think Grimmjow would like it if you returned here for good. Compared to Mr. Jaegerjaques, you'd be like a breath of fresh air for him. I hope you'll think about that while you have him in Dubai."

Vivienne stared surprised at the boy, who stared right back at her, until he exited the room and closed the door slowly behind him.

Then she turned to her son. Would that really be for the best? Returning here to Karakura, in the presence of Julian? Being able to see Grimmjow and Neliel at any given time?

"That adorable little brat! Who does he think he is?! Making me rethink my entire lifestyle!" she pouted and then picked up her magazine again.

* * *

Ichigo sighed as he walked back to his room. If it was to take Grimmjow's mind off of everything that's happened to him lately, Aizen and the lackeys who were still faithful to him, the mess with Ginjo, being arrested, or being attacked while he was  _most likely_  drunk, then it'd be best to let him go for now.

" _But when he comes back, I'll devote myself to helping him catch up in his classes. As a friend, and one of the best he probably has, I have no choice."_  He thought.

Being apart for about a month would be tough, but he'd get through it. And at the thought of bonding through studying, Ichigo smiled.

* * *

*SICU – Surgical Intensive Care Unit


	27. Winter's Embraces and a Meltdown

A warm and loving embrace in the cold winter weather; a sweet gesture from one of the most unexpected of people…

* * *

Early December. Grimmjow has been taken to Dubai by his mother, Vivienne.

Friday night.

While flipping through a popular computer programming magazine, Ginjo sat on the couch in the living room of his comfy apartment. He was talking calmly to someone over phone.

Ichigo sat in the recliner across the room, watching the man in the dimly lit room.

His mind was anywhere but on him though.

All he'd wondered about for the past few days since Grimmjow had gone was Grimmjow and how he was doing. What was he up to in Dubai? Was he getting along with his mother? What was he thinking about? Was he still upset about what had transpired between them the night of his accident?

" _I hope not… He needs to relax, not think about how hurtful my actions have been to him."_  He thought.

Honestly, Ichigo was just glad Grimmjow was still alive. He realized that if he had said something different, rephrased his words to something a little more caring, then he never would have stormed out that night. But… When it came to the relationship that used to be between them, he could not lead the man on in any way whatsoever. It wouldn't be fair.

After all, he still had yet to come up with a way to get out of this deal he'd been forced into with Ginjo. The oath he swore on his mother's name… What would she think about him breaking it?

Hurting her again after he already caused her death would be…

" _No."_  he thought abruptly.

Before she left this world, she had told him that it wasn't his fault. His father told him, when he was clearly devastated at the loss of his soul mate, that it wasn't his fault. Even Grimmjow had could tell that she didn't feel that way.

But still, the pain of that rainy night would always remain. And he just couldn't imagine causing his mother any more pain in the afterlife. She deserved some peace. Even if that meant he sacrificed his own happiness.

"Yeah," Ginjo said, interrupting Ichigo's thoughts. "I can't decide where we're gonna go, but I'm thinking either a desert resort somewhere, or maybe the beach out in the Caribbean."

"A desert resort?" the boy whispered, and then looked at Ginjo out of the corner of his eye.

Ginjo turned to him and grinned before putting down his magazine, getting off the couch, and then leaving the room.

His previously clear words thus became vague mumbles, echoing down the hallway from the back room.

Originally, Ichigo had planned to stay home over the break no matter what Ginjo said. But if there was even a fraction of a possibility of him going to Dubai, then he would go with the man. For some reason, he felt the need to see Grimmjow even though he knew it was for the best that he was isolated right now.

Glancing out the window, Ichigo sighed. The stars had, lately, reminded him of Grimmjow's unwavering motivation. He really was intent on pursuing him, no matter how much it hurt him to do so. And that, he smiled when the thought crossed his mind, was his way of showing his love.

"Hey, Ichigo! Come back here!"

Said boy rolled his eyes and ignored Ginjo, pulling out his phone and starting a game to distract himself. Honestly, he wouldn't even be here if Ginjo hadn't insisted he stay over again. The last time he'd done this had been very awkward and unpleasant. But this time, he was putting together the pieces of a plan to rid himself of the man altogether. Why not toss him a bone since this wouldn't be happening again?

When Ginjo's large shadow appeared on the wall in the hallway, the boy knew he was coming.

"Damnit… Can't he just leave me alone in here…?"

When Ginjo stepped into the living room, he stopped and stared, "Ichigo, come to bed with me. I won't be able to see you tomorrow because I have some things to arrange for our vacation."

"I'm not tired, Ginjo."

"Nonsense. You've been here sitting around since seven this morning. I know you must be ready to see a bed. And I want to have some fun with you tonight… since you're soon to be my fiancé anyway."

"No thank you. I'll sleep on the couch, if you don't mind."

"I bet it didn't take much for that Jaegerjaques kid to get in your pants."

"Because I fucking like him!"

Black eyebrows knitted down.

Without warning, Ginjo quickly walked over to the boy and pinned him by his hands before he got close to him, "Ichigo, it's time for you to move on. Or should I have the tail I've got watching that guy take him and his mother out of the picture?"

Ichigo's brown eyes widened in pure shock and dismay.

"What the hell are you-"

"I don't have any intention of hurting them. I only want you. And I think it's time you forget everything about that guy if you care about his safety. Don't forget that you're practically mine now."

"Ginjo! You're going too far! I can turn you in to Urahara and he'll have you arrested for even saying something like that!"

"What proof do you have, apart from me telling you? … I don't want things to be like this between us, you know. I didn't want to use your mother against you, and I don't' want to make the call to put a bullet through an innocent woman's head, or her retarded child."

Completely disregarding that insult, Ichigo stopped struggling when a thought crossed his mind. "Ginjo…" he said, "Answer me this."

"What is it?" said man asked, and then buried his face in the crook of the smaller boy's neck.

"Were you responsible for Grimmjow's accident last week?"

Ginjo pressed his lips against Ichigo's ear, "No, I wasn't. All I've done is have someone keep an eye on him. I guess that kid's just got enemies all over the place. You don't wanna get tangled up in his mess, do you? I thought not."

"Why should I believe that you didn't do it?" the boy asked seriously.

"Ichigo, think logically about what you're asking. If that kid were to die, then how would I keep you around?"

"…"

Ignoring the unwelcome feeling of Ginjo's warm breath on his ear, Ichigo began thinking critically for a moment.

If Grimmjow  _were to_   _die_ … then maybe they could-

"Don't get any ideas. I'm no idiot, and the man I have watching over him is the one person in this world who is faithful to me and no one else. He'd report a faulty death or disappearance in a heartbeat. And besides… Would you really want Jaegerjaques to live a life in hiding? Would he  _really_  go along with that?"

Before he could even try to think up a response to those questions, Ichigo felt Ginjo's hand run up his shirt and the buttons being undone.

"Ginjo!"

"If you just keep quiet and endure this, everybody will live a lot longer." The raven haired man whispered before getting out of his night clothes.

He had waited long enough for this. And after getting back from his long trip where Ichigo had been stuck here with that loathsome punk, he felt like he deserved this.

* * *

Saturday morning.

Outside of Urahara's shop, Renji juggled his soccer ball in the cold weather.

He was practicing. University was approaching, just a semester away, and he needed to be in top shape if he wanted to get a decent scholarship. God knew he wouldn't get in by way of the entrance exams. He was no Ishida or Rukia, and he knew that.

When he thought about it, Senna, Inoue, and Ichigo all had amazing grades and practice exam scores. Chad also proved to everyone that he too had what it took to get into a decent university.

A few weeks ago, rumor had spread that Jaegerjaques was in two AP classes this year. Two! What the hell was up with that?! He wasn't supposed to be smart.  _"…Ichigo must have gotten over me really fast…"_  he thought as he tried to maintain his juggling pace.

Everyone around him was doing so well for themselves. He had to prove he was just as capable as they were.

How nice it would be if everyone were all to end up in college together, even Senna.

"Renji, come inside or you'll catch a cold!" Shuhei called from inside the candy shop, only having stuck his head out the front door.

"I'll come inside in a bit!"

"Don't be too long! I don't want to hear you complain if you get sick, baka…" Shuhei said and then closed the door.

"I'm not gonna get sick! My immune system is better than Inoue's!" the redhead grinned, clearly lying to himself.

Shuhei was in league with her, Ichigo, Chad, and Senna; near the top of the class in the top twenty-five, but not quite there yet. Ishida was at the top in the number one spot, Rukia earned a spot in the top ten. Jaegerjaques hadn't ranked at Karakura High on the practice, since he took it in Tokyo. This made the redhead curious to see how he'd fare.

No matter what, everyone would know who was who when the real entrance exams came around. He'd at least try to prove that he was competent.

A tug at his long-sleeved shirt caused Renji to turn, and the ball to fall from midair, hitting him on his head.

"Damnit!" he shouted.

Upon opening his previously, tightly closed eyes, he saw that it was Ichigo, and he did not look like he'd had a good night.

"Ichigo, what's wrong with you? You look terrible, man."

"Renji…"

…

After taking a seat on the back porch together, and about thirty minutes of complete silence, Renji decided he'd break the ice.

"Ichigo, what's wrong?"

"… I…"

"You've been acting weird for a long time now... Everybody notices, but no one wants to say anything. We figured you'd tell us if something was up, but apparently not..."

"Renji…" Ichigo said, his voice shaky.

"Talk, Ichigo."

Thanks to the welling up of emotions, the hiding of secrets, and the uncomfortably cold weather, Ichigo gave in and let the tears fall uncontrollably down his face.

"I- Ichigo…?"

"Renji! I don't know what to do! Grimmjow is in danger again, and I broke up with him to make sure he stayed safe… Ginjo's been blackmailing me and that's the only reason I did! It was all to keep Grimmjow happy, but he's been anything but thanks to our break up… I don't know what else to do, or who else to turn to…! I loved you before anyone else, and now I just need you to be here for me! Even if you're just a shoulder to cry on! Don't turn me away, Renji, please!"

Renji stared in shock at the orange haired boy.

He was completely speechless.

This was a side of Ichigo he wasn't used to seeing, and he didn't like it in the least.

Without realizing it, he pulled the boy into a tight hug and was grinding his teeth in pure anger.

Ichigo sobbed uncontrollably, filling Renji's chest to the brim with cold tears dropping like the rain.

"Renji…!"

"Ichigo…"

"I- I don't know anything anymore… I don't know what to do…" the boy cried, his voice mumbled by the chest his face was buried in.

Renji put his firm hands on Ichigo's shoulders and pushed him away, but still held onto them tight.

"If this is a joke, I ain't laughing. Did Senna put you up to this?"

"…"

After getting a good look at the other's face, how swollen his lips were and how red his eyes had become, he knew this was no joke.

"Ginjo is behind this?"

"I tried to do this on my own, but… *pant* I can't beat him… He's too *pant* too… He's got someone who could kill him, Renji! And he's using so much to keep us apart. I'm killing Grimmjow and I'm not even trying to!"

"I'll kill that bastard!" the tattooed man shouted and made to stand.

Ichigo quickly stopped him with both of his hands, "No! I didn't tell you this for that! *pant* I just need to tell someone I can trust…!"

"Trust… Why me? Why not Rukia?"

Ichigo took a moment to regain what he could of his composure before speaking. "… Because I still love you. And I know you love me too, Renji. You're the only man besides Grimm who I feel I could tell anything to. I'll always come to you when I can't go to him."

"Ichigo… Then… you didn't tell Jaegerjaques?"

"No, I can't! If you reacted this way, I can only imagine what he'd do!"

"Why didn't you tell Urahara about all of this?"

"Because... he's stuck his neck out for me enough... Besides, Ginjo did have proof of what Grimmjow did to him so telling him wouldn't have solved anything…"

"Even that had to have faded though, right?"

"He knew that. So he made me take a vow that I wouldn't leave him. I did it for Grimmjow's sake. So until I can find a way out, I'll have to deal with this on my own."

"You should tell the others-"

"No! And don't you say anything to anyone, please. Promise me. I don't want any of you involved in this. I don't even have a logical reason for telling you…"

Renji turned and stared at the sky for a moment, and then he looked back down to Ichigo, "Fine, I promise."

"I… I should go home… I'm sure everyone's missing me."

"You didn't stay at your house last night?"

"…"

The look on Ichigo's face said everything he wouldn't. And because of that, Renji felt his blood boiling. He kept himself in check for his friend's sake though.

"I should go… I didn't mean to burden you with all of this."

"Shut up with that kind of talk. We're friends, after all. You're staying here for the day. I'll get Tessai to make you some warm soup and you can get some rest in my bed. Shuhei and I will keep you company."

"Renji…"

"Come on. Let's go inside before we get sick."

Ichigo took a moment, but stood up and followed Renji into to the warmth of Urahara's shop. Perhaps being around them instead of moping at home with his sisters and father would be better for him.

"Renji! Your nose is running!" Shuhei angrily said when the two entered the bedroom.

"Damnit!" said man shouted and then wiped it with his sleeve.

"Ichigo, you must be sick too. Your nose is running  _and_  your eyes are red."

"Oh… It's okay. I'm sure it's nothing I can't get over."

Renji reached over and ruffled the boy's orange hair, "I'm doubly sure about that."


	28. In a Different Light

One week following Ichigo's meltdown.

"Boarding for flight ten will begin now. Please move to loading dock number ten to begin boarding the plane." The assistant's voice rang over the loudspeaker in the airport.

Ichigo sighed and stared out the window, sitting alone over in a corner of the waiting lobby. Ginjo had left him a little earlier, insisting he had something to take care of before they departed.

"I still have no idea where we're going…" the boy muttered and pulled out his cell phone. It was his natural defense against complete boredom and looking like a weirdo who had nothing to do.

When he thought about it, he realized that his chances of going to Dubai were minimal at best, if they were existent at all.

But… maybe seeing Grimmjow now wouldn't be what was best. Maybe this time away from everything and everyone was exactly what he needed to recuperate. All the drama of Karakura, and Ichigo admitted that he was the root of that drama, could be left behind even if just for a few weeks.

Vivienne… hopefully she could calm Grimmjow down a bit. Make him relax and not always have to look over his shoulder.

"Poor Grimm… I hope he won't get in trouble at work for missing so much time…"

After flipping through the saved high scores on one of the games on his phone, Ichigo came across a high score obtained a long time ago by the man who'd been on his mind the most lately.

With a score significantly higher than his, Renji's, Keigo's or Mizuiro's, was Grimmjow's at 998,634,005 points. His player name was SexPanther006. It was a name that earned him a laugh from everyone who played this game and saw the scoreboard.

With a small smile, he promised that no matter how long it took, he would someday beat Grimmjow's high score. He was far from it, though, with a score of only 199,549,010.

Ginjo rounded a corner with a cup of coffee and smiled when he saw the warm look on Ichigo's face.

"What are you so happy about?" he asked, and stopped in front of the boy.

"Oh, uh, nothing… You- you made me wait so you could get coffee…?"

"Huh? No. I had to call the pilot for the private jet I rented. We're flying to Anguilla as soon as he arrives."

"Anguilla? Isn't that in the Caribbean?"

"Yup. We're gonna be staying there for about two weeks. Maybe three if all goes well this last week before my employees go on vacation."

Ichigo stood and picked up his bag, "Fine. I'm ready to go."

He  _knew_  he wouldn't be going to Dubai. To make matters worse, he would be in a completely different hemisphere from Grimmjow.

As he followed Ginjo, the boy remembered that this was supposed to be a sort of healing time for Grimmjow.  _"He'd never get that if he saw me… I just know it…"_

The other noticed the boy's expression and smiled, "You seem a little down, Ichigo. Want me to make you feel better?"

"No thanks. Let's just get to where we're going already."

Admittedly, Ichigo was a bit excited about going to the Caribbean. He'd never been out of Japan before. Besides, he didn't plan to be Ginjo's  _fiancé_  for much longer. Why not humor him for a while?

Through the tunnel the two of them walked to board the tiny jet. Ginjo carried all the bags while Ichigo carried the man's coffee. He felt like he owed him that much, at least.

When they took boarded and a seat, the orange-head looked out the window to the snow-filled fields off in the distance. The winter had come on strong, and didn't seem to be giving Karakura a breather. Thankfully, he wouldn't have to deal with the cold for the duration of this vacation.

A shifting beside him made Ichigo turn.

Ginjo had pulled out his laptop and was looking through some sales projections.

Full of curiosity, the boy scooted closer to the larger man and silently looked at the figures. If things went the way these projections predicted, Ginjo was gonna be one wealthy son of a bitch. If he wasn't one already.

"If you wanted to get closer to me, you didn't have to fake interest in what I'm doing. I would have pulled you over here if you'd just said so." The raven-haired man commented, before putting an arm around the boy.

"No… That's not what I was trying to do…" Ichigo retorted, before pulling himself free from Ginjo's grasp, "And I wasn't faking interest. Things like that are always interesting to me. And… Why are you looking at that anyway? Don't you know what 'vacation' means?"

"I do. I just want to get this out of the way early so I can enjoy my vacation with you."

"…"

"Don't you worry. I'm gonna take good care of you. I'm working and making this money so you won't ever have to work."

Brown eyes stared intently at the man. What was it about him that made it seem like he wanted to be taken care of? He was a man too! And he had found his talent in the medical field, so that was bound to yield its own desirable salary.

After pulling out his phone, Ichigo scooted back over to the window and stayed there trying to beat Grimmjow's high score for the rest of the flight.

* * *

"This is much nicer than I was expecting it to be. I paid enough for it anyway… But I won't spare any expense for you, Ichigo." Ginjo said as he and his fiancé-to-be entered the penthouse suite of the hotel they were staying in.

Ichigo walked into the room behind the man and glanced around. It was nice indeed.

In the kitchen, there were glass counters, the appliances were all stainless steel, and a moderately sized flat screen television was mounted on the wall just above the microwave. The living and dining room areas were decorated with paintings of flowers and landscapes. And the dim lights made the whole room seem much more relaxed and inviting.

Ginjo walked over to the counter and set up his laptop. "Hey, I'm gonna look over some expense reports Jackie just e-mailed me before I head down to the pool. Feel free to roam around the hotel without me."

"Right." The orange-head said, before dropping his luggage on the floor.

As he left the room, Ichigo turned and took a brief look at Ginjo. It may have been the white button-down, but something about him seemed much less… malevolent.

He could be such a nerd, always sitting in front of his laptop and managing his gaming company. It was cute in a way.

And on that shockingly unpleasant thought, Ichigo quickly left the room. Where he was headed, even he didn't know.

* * *

At some point later in the evening, Ichigo wandered downstairs to the bar. What made him stay was the fact that said bar was one of the ones that was in a pool. He'd never been to one and vaguely, he remembered Renji saying how awesome they were. It was okay.

The bartender subtly slipped him a few shots, which he took graciously. Anything was better than being reminded of the fact that he was here with Ginjo.

Coincidentally, there was a party going on. Many of the people looked like they tanned a little too much. The boy watched them dance to the blaring music and fall into the pool. Some of them were very tipsy, some had passed out. Honestly, it was pretty out of hand. But these people were here and they were paying for a good time, so it didn't surprise him that no one was stopping them.

This kind of reminded him of Grimmjow. Because Grimmjow was always ready to have a drink and get drunk off his ass. Since he no longer had the option to partake in taking drugs, he figured a few drinks from time to time couldn't hurt. And Ichigo had a drink with him on occasion… when they were together that is. It was a better alternative, though still not the healthiest.

As he looked down at his emptied shot glasses, the boy sighed. This would have been far more enjoyable with his immature bluenette here. Although he may have often complained about Grimmjow's immaturity, it was something he didn't mind that much.

The bartender walked back over to Ichigo and put another shot down in front of him, "Last one! Get up from here and go have some fun, kid!" she screamed over the music with a smile.

Quite a pretty young woman she was. But even her beauty was drowned out by the alcohol flowing through Ichigo's system.

"I… might have a hard time doing that…!" the orange-haired boy responded. He smiled goofily at her before he belched.

"Did I give you too much?! Oh no! Give me the shot then!"

Ichigo took the glass and downed it quickly.

"Well, of you wanna be tipsy, go ahead! I'll take responsibility for you and take you back to your room, so don't go anywhere until I go on break!" She shouted over the music, before she picked up the empty shot glasses and walked to the other end of the bar with them.

"Damnit…" Ichigo said. How would he get drunk now?

"Is this seat taken?" a man asked, and then sat down next to the boy without waiting for a response.

"Who are…"

Ichigo stopped mid-question when he took a look at this stranger. He was built. Toned from head to toe with muscles and had a pretty handsome face to go with them.

He seemed to be older than Ginjo, but not by much. There was a certain maturity he had about him too, despite his tank top and high shorts. It was enough to keep Ichigo from telling him to get lost.

"Lemme buy you a drink."

"Be my guest."

The man called for two Vodka Tonics before turning to smile at Ichigo.

"Like what you see?" he asked, and then flexed his muscles.

"My ex works out a lot… It's funny how many people work out and don't even know the simple biology involved with their muscles."

"Really now?! Why don't you enlighten me?"

"Well, one of the simplest things I can remember at the moment is that Myoglobin and Hemoglobin are essential proteins used for binding and delivering oxygen, especially while respiring heavily. Myoglobin is what gives muscles their reddish color, if you were to actually see a muscle out from underneath the skin. It's found in the bloodstream when muscle injury occurs. You know, when your muscles hurt after working out? It contains amino acids-"

"Whoa, whoa, Professor! Slow it down! I guess cuties can be smart too…"

"Oh, thanks… but I'm not really that smart… My friend Ishida is the smart one… Topping the class on the practice entrance exams…"

"Entrance exams? You from Japan? And just how old are you anyway?" the man asked curiously.

"Yeah. And I'm eighteen. But don't tell that to the bartender…!" he giggled childishly.

Said bartender came over with the ordered drinks and put them down, "Hey, don't take him anywhere, you hear me?!" she hollered over the music.

"Oh, it's okay! This is my girlfriend's little brother!"

"Oh! Well, don't let him stay down here alone… He seems like he's… a little tipsy. And a bit of a lightweight."

"After I give him a taste of this, I'll take him back up to the room and let him sleep!"

"Good! Wouldn't want someone taking advantage of the little guy!"

Ichigo, having ignored the two completely, picked up the drink and downed it as fast as he could. Taste didn't matter right now. All he wanted was to forget. To forget that he was here with Ginjo, who he'd unfortunately had the  _pleasure_  to have slept with so many nights ago.

Upon turning, all he could see was the handsome stranger's smile. And even though it was a nice one, this was wrong. Even in his inebriated state, all he wanted was Grimmjow. Accepting a drink from this guy was like begging to be fucked, and that was far from on his agenda for the night. So he stood up and, after nearly falling into the water, walked back over to the hallway he'd entered from.

A strong grip on his arm caught him and pulled him further down the dimly lit corridor.

All of the sudden, he was forced against the wall and a pair of lips pressed firmly against his. Everything happened so fast, and his lowered comprehension skills made him forget that this was not Ginjo. It  _certainly_  wasn't Grimmjow.

The man lifted the boy's legs and wrapped them around his waist eagerly. Kissing this kid was nice, but there was so much more to be done with him before the evening's end. He pulled away and grinned, "You want this?" he asked, grinding his clothed, erect penis against the boy's rear end.

Ichigo closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall behind him. Grimmjow was the only person he willingly allowed to hold him like this. To be close to him like this. That had to be who this was. And with that in mind, he nodded approvingly.

"But… I'm tired… Grimm… I don't feel too good…" he said as he was hoisted over the man's shoulder and carried further down the hallway.

As he waited at the elevator with Ichigo over his shoulder, the man smiled. Getting laid on his first night here in Anguilla with such a cute, young, barely legal teen was unbelievably lucky.

A hand on his shoulder caused him to turn, and as soon as he did, a fist slammed against his cheek. The force caused him to fall over, dropping Ichigo in the process.

The orange-head lifted himself up onto his elbows and looked up to see Ginjo standing tall above them. He looked so heroic that it made Ichigo question whether or not it was him.

"Is that- Is that you, Ginjo?" he asked.

The raven-haired man turned angrily to the man on the floor, "You're trying to take advantage of  _my_  fiancé?! Get out of my sight before I have you castrated!"

The man wiped his lips when blood dripped from them, but jumped up and made to take Ginjo down. Dodging his fist with ease, Ginjo countered and slammed the guy against the elevator doors, hand firm around his neck.

Watching as the man gasped desperately for air, Ichigo was reminded of the evening Grimmjow walked in on them locked in a forced kiss. Seeing someone on the verge of death through violent means such as these would always cause him to panic.

"G- Ginjo! Stop it! You're killing him!" he shouted, before quickly getting up and pulling Ginjo away from the man.

Ginjo calmed himself down and turned to leave. "… C'mon. We're going back to the room."

After seeing that the man was still alive, Ichigo followed Ginjo as he led the way back to the Penthouse suite.

* * *

"Ichigo, I want you to be more careful. That man could have done so much to you and you never would have known it. You can't just get drunk around people you don't know!" Ginjo said angrily as he stared down at the boy who was now lying on the bed.

"I'm… I'm so not even drunk… You don't know anything about muscles." the boy responded.

Ginjo ignored the boy's ridiculous utterance, "Be more careful."

Ichigo sat up when Ginjo made to leave the room, "Wait, Ginjo!"

The man turned, "What is it?"

"I- Thank you… For helping me out…"

"Anything for you. I love you, you know."

"I know you feel that way… But… But I love Grimmjow… And I'll always be his. His muscles are so perfect to me…"

Ginjo stared at the other for a moment. "You're just drunk. Get some sleep. We've got a long three weeks ahead of us." He said, before leaving the room and shutting out the light.

Ichigo buried his face in the silk pillows and closed his eyes, "Grimmjow… I love you…" he whispered before he fell asleep.


	29. Complimentary Silver Lining

A bit of understanding blossoms between previously estranged, hot-tempered mother and son.

And on a vacation, a tiny meeting of fate occurs. Though, it's not so tiny that it should go unnoted. It may have even set forth a new, unseen path to the long conflict of lovers and friends.

* * *

As she gazed down at her son, who was currently relaxing on the beach, Vivienne smiled as warmly as the sun's bright glow.

Sitting up on the balcony and enjoying a watermelon daiquiri, she realized this was exactly the kind of escape Grimmjow needed. Whatever was going on back in Karakura town, they could deal with when they returned.

Yes,  _they_.

After actually talking with Grimmjow on the long plane ride and seeing that he could use his mother's love in his life, she decided that perhaps she could afford to spend at least eight to ten months out of they year in one homey place.

Flashback

" _Grimmy, don't be so mad with me… You have to understand my reasons for leaving all those years ago. It was a long time in the running…" Vivienne said to her son, who was seated next to her in the first-class section of the airplane._

_Grimmjow offered no response to her. He simply continued to play an addictive game on his cell phone that Kurosaki had bought for him a few weeks back._

" _I love you so much dear… You and Neliel mean a lot to me."_

_Having finally grown tired of the incessant nagging that had carried on since he had woken up in the hospital, Grimmjow turned to Vivienne, "Why do you keep talking? I'm fine with a vacation at your… or dad's or wherever you get your money's… expense, but I never said I'd have anything to do with you. Leave me the hell alone."_

_Vivienne started laughing obnoxiously, making Grimmjow's blue eyes grow alarmimgly wide. He knew exactly what was coming-_

_*WHAM*_

_The fist that smashed against the top of his head caused him to drop his phone, and he gritted his teeth in agony from the pain._

" _JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING TO, MISTER!? DID YOU FORGET I WAS THE PARENT WITH THE ANGER PROBLEM THAT EVEN THERAPY COULDN'T FIX!? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU GOT THAT FROM?!" the woman yelled wrathfully._

" _Excuse me! Is everything okay over there?" a flight attendant asked._

" _We're fine!" Vivienne responded with an embarrassed blush._

" _Shit…" Grimmjow groaned while holding his head. Kurosaki hadn't ever hit him_ that _hard before…_

_He leaned forward, picked his phone up off the floor, and then turned his attention to the clouds passing outside._

" _Oh, Grimmy! I'm sorry! But you know you shouldn't talk to the woman who gave birth to you like that!"_

" _Just leave me alone… I've been that way for most of my life anyway…"_

_Vivienne smiled, "Alone…? You know… That's the last thing you are, dear. You had quite a few visitors while you were in the hospital…"_

"…"

" _There was Neliel, your father, a handsome guy named Stark, your old friend Yylfordt, that quiet one called Ulquiorra, and a pretty redheaded girl with large_ boobies  _who gave me some very tasty pasteries…" she said. She thought putting emphasis on Inoue's breasts would get Grimmjow to at least look at her._

_Seeing that none of those people earned a response from her son, the woman sighed, "Well, there was one more person… He was really sweet for someone who looked so menacing and uninviting… He had very orange hair… I don't think he ever told me his name, but that boy whose father owned the hospital said his name was… Kurosaki…? I think…"_

_Grimmjow quickly looked at the woman from the corner of his eyes._

" _I knew that'd get your attention!"_

" _Kurosaki visited me…?"_

" _Mhm. Too bad you missed him. He seemed very worried about you."_

" _What did he say?"_

" _He said I should come back to Karakura because you needed me."_

 _Grimmjow rolled his eyes. That was irrelevant to him. If Kurosaki hadn't said that he still loved him or something along those lines… Well… maybe he didn't necessarily need to_ say _it. His coming showed that he still cared deeply. And when they were in that cave in Daisetsuzan, he had kissed him, even if it was just on the cheek. In fact, they had been really close for most of the time they'd been broken up for…_

" _Grimmjow, do you want me to come back to Karakura town? Would that make you happy?"_

" _I don't care… I've gotten along fine without you all these years, so it really doesn't matter to me."_

"…  _I'm sorry for that… I truly am… I never imagined what would've happened if I'd just left you in Julian's care. But you… Grimmy, you were supposed to be what saved our relationship. I got pregnant and I thought he'd put the family first… When you were born and grew up a bit, it became obvious that wasn't going to happen. So I had to go. But you were always on my mind. I just… couldn't take you with me. You have to understand that children need a steady place to grow. I couldn't live with myself if I'd deprived you of being able to make friends, and have a familiar place to call home."_

" _Is that your excuse? Is that supposed to make up for your abandoning me?"_

" _It's all I can do now. I know it's not ever going to be enough, simply apologizing, but it wasn't because I didn't love you. Julian is the reason I left. I was selfish, I know. I left you all alone, even if my intentions were good. And for that, I am sorry, dear. I'm so sorry. But I'm trying to make up for all of that now that we're both older and more mature. Before you're swallowed up by the messes you're involved in back in Karakura, I want to try and help you."_

"…"

" _All I ever wanted was the best for you, and for me. My leaving may have trapped you with Julian, but… But think of all that's happened since I left and now. Was it all really that bad?"_

_Grimmjow clenched his fists, "Yeah, I got stalked by a lunatic who wanted me to be his boyfriend, got hooked on drugs, started drinking early, started working for a man who thought he was a god, got into fights like crazy, got shot saving a ditzy broad, nearly killed a guy for him kissing Kurosaki, was put in jail for that, got crowded by a bunch of weak bastards who didn't have a brain amongst themselves, and was nearly killed in a car accident-which cost me my fucking car that I've been working on for over two years! I've been through more than you've ever had nightmares about in that crystal castle of yours."_

" _Oh Grimmy… That all sounds really terrible… And Julian probably didn't help you with any of that… But… But surely there was_ something _amidst all that which wasn't all bad. Because I believe that even in the hardest of times, there's always a silver lining. In the darkest depths of space, there are stars you know. There must have been something that made you… happy... Something that pushed you to face each day with hope for the next."_

_Grimmjow turned and looked back out the window._

_A silver lining…_

_Kurosaki… he was undoubtedly his silver lining._

_He was the thing that had kept him stable. He was the person who always believed in him. The person who had made life much more bearable, much more interesting, more livable._

_With all that he'd done for him, how could he not be like the sun in his galaxy?_

_For everything they'd been through, and all the love they showed each other… That was the reason he was so intent in getting Kurosaki back. He'd been living life without him these past few months, and they'd been much less interesting. No sex, no arguments, no closeness with another human being. Intimacy was something he never expected to want, having usually distanced himself from people for most of his early life, but now he realized that it was something he wanted and_ needed _. He couldn't do without Kurosaki, his family, his annoying friends, and he certainly couldn't do without the love he showed him._

" _Grimmy? Are you okay?"_

" _Huh- What?! What is it?"_

" _I know you had a silver lining, dear. Let's hear it."_

" _It's… none of your business…"_

" _Oh I knew it! There is something that makes you happy!" she said._

_The reason she was so happy that he was happy was because it meant that her son hadn't been simply suffering all these years. There was something that kept him going. She only hoped it was a positive thing, and not something like drugs._

" _Calm your face… you're going to draw attention to us…" Grimmjow said with a blush._

" _Grimmy, do you want me to come back?"_

"…  _Do whatever you want to do, mom… Like I said, it doesn't matter to me."_

_Vivienne sighed. It was just her luck to get a son who was just as high strung and hot-headed as she was. It was probably payback for the way she'd treated Julian when they were teenagers._

"I was pretty mean to him… But only because I didn't want him to know I liked him at that time…!" _she thought._

_If he had found out that she liked him, she was sure he would have tried to convert her to that cult-like church he attended back then… or something along those lines… Nobody really wants that._

_Though, he seemed so different to her after all this time… Maybe it wasn't too late for the Julian of today. Maybe he could change…_

_If she wasn't able to do it back then, and maybe not even now…_

_The woman turned to her son and smiled. "Maybe_ he _can." She thought wholeheartedly._

_After seeing him for the first time in years in Grimmjow's hospital room, she had noticed that Julian was much less... Well, he was just different somehow. He actually seemed genuinely worried about Grimmjow, and he hadn't brought up religion once, even though it was an acceptable time to do so considering their son's condition._

_Neliel nearly joined with him at the waist probably had something to do with his seemingly less extreme personality._

"Children can sometimes have more influence than adults can…" _she thought happily._ "I… I guess it is about time for me to own up to my actions and return to Karakura. Even if Grimmy acts like he doesn't care, I know he does…"

_For the first time in a very long time, Vivienne felt like she was actually a mother. Though even with her newfound attitude, she hadn't even realized how accurate her statement about children was._

End Flashback

* * *

As he sat, completely relaxed, in the beach chair and bathed his skin in the golden sunlight, Grimmjow watched the other beachgoers frolicking about. Children were building sand castles and burying each other, women were putting on sunscreen, men checked out the women while they put on sunscreen, and surfers were out riding the huge waves.

Man. He was  _so_  bored.

Unfortunately, he'd left his phone up in the hotel room, which was up on the forty-third floor. He had considered calling Kurosaki, but he realized that his mother was right. Every issue in Karakura town had to be left  _in_ Karakura town right now. Kurosaki was one of the problems he was currently dealing with, so calling him would defeat the purpose of this vacation.

His unwillingness to get back together stung something fierce. But this problem would be solved for sure at a later time. In his mind, them getting back together was inevitable. He figured he just had to time it right.

From his booksack that was lying in the sand beside him, he pulled out a book that had been left to him while he was asleep in his hospital room. Left to him by Kurosaki, his mother had said.

She seemed even more supportive of his relationship than Neliel… Well, maybe not Neliel. But she did come off as overly encouraging, which was surprising... How had a free spirit like her and a buttoned down kinda guy like his father ever get together in the first place?

"Whatever…" he commented.

The book he was holding was an anthology of Shakespeare's works. That wasn't very surprising considering this guy was Kurosaki's favorite poet…  _"Or playwright… or whatever the hell this guy was when he was alive…"_ the bluenette thought.

When he opened to the first page, a note slipped out. Upon opening it, this is what it said to him:

_I hope this will help you expand your mind a little. Entrance exams are approaching fast._

_On another note, know that there are worse tragedies in the world than breakups._

_It never hurts to read, you know. It could help you more than you think._

_Oh, and enjoy your vacation!_

_PS, your mother has a very unexpected personality… but she seems nice so don't be mean to her!_

Grimmjow didn't know how to feel about this note. What was Kurosaki really trying to say with it? He had a habit of hiding things in broad daylight because he thought he was smarter than him.

When he looked up from the book, he noticed a man was watching him.

He was a definitely strange man.

On the beach all alone in a white t-shirt and black boardshorts was this slender, raven-haired guy who was just watching him… It was a little unnerving. Well, a lot actually.

To make matters worse, the guy got up and actually started walking towards him.

"Shit…" Grimmjow cursed under his breath.

"Hello." The man said after he reached him.

"Whatever you're selling, I don't want any."

"Heheh, that's some way to talk to someone you don't even know."

"Which is why I'm wondering why you're standing in front of me… Who the hell are you?"

"Me? Well, I'm no one important. Just a saved soul…"

Grimmjow rolled his blue eyes, "You're one of  _those_  people... Look, I don't believe in God, or religion. It only makes people rely on someone other than themselves to solve their problems."

The man stared at the relaxed bluenette curiously, and then he chuckled.

"Oh my… I see you have me confused… I suppose my choice of words wasn't the best."

Showing little interest in this slender man with the scar above his left eye, Grimmjow turned his attention back to his book.

"Oh, are you a reader? That's quite rare these days. Color me impressed."

"What do you want from me, guy?"

"I'm simply making some observations. I have a special assignment and you just so happen to fit into it well."

A blue eyebrow rose, "What…?"

"The assignment is merely a study of you and other beachgoers." the man said, before gazing up to the woman on the balcony on the forty-third floor, "So, where did you get an anthology of Shakespeare?"

"My… my ex got it for me."

"Oh, how interesting. I wonder what that means coming from an ex… For Shakespeare shares many ideas, both blissful and dismal in his works." The man said, before taking a seat in the sand next to Grimmjow, "Do you love this ex?"

"Is that any of your business? What if I asked you something personal?"

"Go ahead. It's only fair since I asked you something personal... even though you did not answer…"

"Do  _you_  love someone? Are you capable of loving someone, considering that you look like an elitist who hides away from society."

The man was surprised at the other's words. He turned and stared out at the seemingly endless ocean before responding, "Actually, I do love someone… I met this man when I was twelve years old. He took me in from my life on the run from foster homes and showed me what it meant to have someone actually care about you. I was only a child, but I was mature for my age. And because of my maturity, I fell in love with him… despite the fact that he was twenty-four years old... He saved me, how could I not love him? I had a home, a vast library with many intellectual writers at my disposal, and I even met some interesting people thanks to his growing business. His bartender was one of them. I've been doing this man's bidding for over a decade now, and have met many more people than I would have been capable of meeting on my own. I'm ever so thankful for his coming into my life."

Grimmjow stared at this guy for a moment. The fact that a child could be in love with an adult had sparked his curiousity. He wanted to know how deep this love was. "So, if this guy asked you to take someone out, would you do it?"

"Take someone out? As in dining with them?"

"No, no. I mean putting them in the ground, making them sleep forever, turning them into food for worms, call their number, makin' 'em croak."

"Your words are strange…"

"You're smart. Ever heard of a euphemism?"

"I have. What inappropriate thing might you be trying to hint at?"

Grimmjow facepalmed, "I mean would you ever kill someone for the guy!"

A few people looked in their direction, and Grimmjow realized he must have seemed very crazy right now. He looked at the man expectantly, "Would you?"

"Without hesitation. But he has not given me such an order. I  _am_  doing something for him now, though."

"And what is that?"

"Observing the people in this country. A few in particular."

"How creepy."

"It's not. There is an obstacle he needs me to monitor. That's all."

Surprisingly enough, Grimmjow was much more interested in learning about this strange man than he realized, "Have you told him how you feel about him?" he asked.

"No. I have not. He's currently invested his time in someone else. I've met this person once before, and he seems like a decent person… I suppose. A young man with orange hair, strangely enough."

"Orange hair?"

"It's strange, right?"

"Oh… well, I was just thinking it was a coincidence because my ex has orange hair." Grimmjow grinned while thinking of Ichigo's strawberry-scented hair.

The two of them truly stood out when they were together. Glasses face… Ishida was it… had once pointed out that orange and blue were complimentary colors.

But their relationship went much deeper than just appearances. When he thought about it, their personalities were complimentary too. He was aggressive and hot-tempered while Kurosaki was more reserved and level-headed. He rarely gave two shits about anything, but Kurosaki was emotional and sympathetic to those around him. He was brawny and often used his strength to solve his problems, yet Kurosaki seemed to use his intellect more than his physical strength. The list could go on and on if he let it.

" _We really are a good pair… A powerhouse when we're together…"_ he thought with a grin.

After seeing Grimmjow's grin, the stranger got curious, "Do you want to be with this person? And if so, have you told them?"

"… I have… but I don't think he feels the same as I do anymore."

The raven-haired man sighed. With both hands, he picked up some sand and let it slip through his slender fingers. Just like the grains disappearing from his grasp, he thought life was too short. Too short to live with regrets for sure. Someday, he would be able to tell the man he loved how he felt. But that day may not come anytime soon… After all, he was so interested in the orange-haired boy. As long as he was happy with the kid, then that was all that mattered to him.

But for a moment, he allowed himself the pleasure of thinking that perhaps his savior that he cherished so dearly would and could return his powerful feelings.

"Thank you for chatting with me, young man. It was very… enlightening… I'm glad I had the chance to actually talk to you."

"What…? Actually talk to me? What does that mean?"

The man got up, "You've inspired me to take a chance. I bid you farewell, sir. Hopefully things go well for you and the person who gave you that book."

Grimmjow watched as the guy dusted himself off and departed.

As he walked away, the man smiled,  _"I'd never be able to kill that man or his mother now… Thank goodness Ginjo hasn't given me that order. I guess things must be going well for him on his vacation."_  He thought.

As confused as ever, Grimmjow looked back down to his book. The note that had been inside it now sat on his lap.

" _Kurosaki… One more time… I'll give you the time you need, and then I'll ask you one more time… I won't take no for an answer when I do."_  He smiled,  _"You're my complimentary silver lining, after all."_


	30. Shining Brighter

Winter vacation came to an end, to many students' dismay, and waiting for them on their return to school was the intimidating entrance exams. Everyone had studied all the things they thought they needed to know for their corresponding tests, and took them when the time came.

That was near a week ago.

It is now a Sunday evening, in late January.

Rukia stood over the oven in her kitchen, with Inoue right next to her, as they waited for the celebratory cupcakes to finish baking.

"I hope I did well…" Inoue said with some concern in her voice.

"Inoue, you probably did better than last time. Try not to worry too much." Rukia said consolingly.

"That's easy for someone who scored in the top five to say."

Both Inoue and Rukia turned when Senna came into the kitchen from the living room.

"Senna, I think we all did fine. Besides, it doesn't matter what we scored, just so long as we did our best." Rukia responded.

"Yeah yeah… I'm pretty confident I got in at least the top twenty. Inoue, you probably did better than me so stop worrying so much."

"We'll find out tomorrow…" the unusually nervous Inoue said.

When the oven started beeping, Rukia bent down and opened it, "The cupcakes are done. Let's put some icing an decorations on them. I know that'll cheer you up, Inoue." she said with a smile.

"I wanna help too." Senna said.

…

As best he could, Ichigo tried to ignore the fretting Renji.

Up in Rukia's room, the two of them, along with Ishida and Chad, were waiting for the girls to finish making the cupcakes. He wished they'd get back already, though. Maybe Renji would stuff his mouth with them and give everyone a break…

In the back of his mind though, Ichigo was very appreciative of Renji's having been there for him that day in the cold. It was because of him and Shuhei that he was able to calm down a bit.

"I can't believe this… If I didn't' do okay on the exams, and if my skills as a soccer player aren't adequate, I'll end up poor for the rest of my life…" the redhead lamented.

"Abarai, it'll be okay. Though near impossible to find a decent career in today's economy without a college degree, I'm sure you'll laze your way into a good job just as you've lazed your way through high school." Ishida reassured, with a slight sarcasm accompanying his statement.

"You got nothing to worry about, so it's easy for you to say things like 'it'll be okay'!" Renji retorted.

Ichigo stood up from his seat on Rukia's floor, took Renji by the arm, led him out onto the balcony, and then closed the doors to make sure they had some privacy.

"Ichigo… What's wrong?"

"Look at you. Fretting like crazy but still asking me what's wrong."

"You know I care about you."

"Renji, you were there for me, and I wanna be here for you now."

"Ichigo-"

"I know you're going to score high. So calm down before you stress yourself out too much."

Renji walked over to the railing of the balcony and leaned heavily on it. He didn't - no, he couldn't - look at Ichigo while he asked this, "I'd been meaning to ask you when you got back… Did Kugo make you sleep with him during your vacation?"

Ichigo put his hands in his pockets and smiled, "What are you asking such a thing for?"

"Because I want to keep you safe. And if someone is forcing you to do something you don't want to do, then I just-"

"Renji, I'm… I'm okay… I promise."

"Are you ever gonna tell the others about him? And… are you ever gonna tell Jaegerjaques? Even if I don't like him that much, I know you love the guy and I know he can keep you safe and happy. He deserves to know about this. Don't leave him in the dark. It's unfair y'know."

"I…" Ichigo didn't know how to respond.

Renji was absolutely right. Leaving Grimmjow and not letting him know the real reason why was unfair. But if he did tell Grimmjow, that temper of his was sure to result in disaster. Who would that help? Absolutely no one. It would only make the situation worse that what it had already grown to be.

The tattooed redhead walked over to Ichigo and put a firm hand on his shoulder, "You're worried about that infamous temper of his, aren't you? Look, if I kept myself in control after finding out, I think he would too."

"... Ren… ji…"

It was easy for him to say that because he didn't know about what Grimmjow did the evening he walked in on Ginjo kissing him.  _"But he does have a point…"_  the orange-head thought solemnly.

"Tell him, Ichigo. He might even be able to help you."

"But-"

"Trust me. If he loves you, he'll keep himself in line."

For just a moment as he stared into Renji's dark brown eyes, Ichigo allowed himself to believe in him and his ignorant wisdom.

…

When Senna entered Rukia's room with a tray of cupcakes, she nearly dropped them when she saw Ichigo and Renji hugging out on the balcony.

"What the-"

"Senna, what's wrong?" Rukia asked as she entered her room with another tray, followed by Inoue.

"Th-that jerk! He  _really_  does think he's a better friend than me!" the orange-eyed girl said, gripping the metallic tray and gritting her teeth.

"Senna-chan…" Inoue mumbled.

When Renji and Ichigo came back into the room, Senna watched through squinted eyes as Renji casually took two cupcakes from her tray and sat down with them.

"Hey, Rukia, tell Renji he's going to do fine on the exam." Ichigo said.

"I don't know what he's so scared for. You know you've always pulled through in a pinch somehow, Renji." The raven-haired girl commented.

"You're right. You know, Ichigo made me feel a bit more confident… If he believes in me, and if you do too, then I'm going to leave it all to luck."

Rukia smiled at Renji's confidence, then turned to the most confident person in the room, "Ishida, how do you think you did?"

"I'm sure I'm somewhere in the top three. I wouldn't be surprised if I scored in the number one spot."

"You're so lucky you're smart, Ishida!" Inoue said, and then glumly put her tray of cupcakes down on Rukia's desk.

"Chin up, Inoue!" Senna said, "I'm sure you did fine too!"

"Th- thank you, Senna-chan."

Ichigo took a cupcake and sat down on Rukia's over-sized bed. Why she had such a spacious bed made sense to anyone who knew her and who also happened to know about her ginormous collection of stuffed animals. Right now they were in the closet, just so everyone would have somewhere to sit.

As he stared at the blue icing on the cupcake, he wondered about Grimmjow.

Since they got back from winter break, he hadn't really spoken to him much. Vivienne had said he needed time to recuperate, and that's what he intended to allow Grimmjow to get. He didn't feel it was fair for him to force himself back into his life just because he had come home… along with his mother.

It was quite a surprise that she had listened to him and decided to stay in Karakura.

" _But I do wonder how he's going to do on the exam… I didn't know he was in AP classes… He hasn't told me anything, has he?"_  After a moment of wondering what else had been kept from him, Ichigo sighed,  _"I guess I've kept some important things from him too…"_

If Grimmjow was in an AP class, and if he was doing well in it, then he allowed himself to believe the man would at least score in the top thirty.

Thinking of what he had told Vivienne in the hospital before he left, the boy felt pretty bad. He said he would help Grimmjow catch up in his classes since she planned to take him on break early, but had yet to make the effort to do that.  _"I wonder what she thinks of me now…"_

Unbeknownst to him, a pair of violet eyes watched him closely from across the room.

Rukia knew that at some point, she would have to talk to Ichigo about what she had recently learned.

* * *

Monday morning. Twenty minutes before classes begin.

As quickly as he could, Ichigo dashed out the front door of his family clinic. He'd overslept this morning since Rukia's get together had carried on until at least twelve o'clock. He remembered it was at least that late because that was when Renji left and then came back with Shuhei.

" _I hope I get to see the see the scores before class starts!"_ he thought as he ran.

When he got to school, with about ten minutes to spare, he sped past the front office and went straight up the stairs.

Unsurprisingly, there was a large crowd standing around the scoreboard. Even on his tiptoes, he couldn't see much.

"Ichigo!"

Said boy turned when he heard his name, only to see Senna running up to him.

"Hey Senna. Did you see the scores?" he asked.

"Nope!"

"We did, though." Rukia said as she and Ishida walked up to them. Ishida noticeably looked as though someone had kicked his puppy.

"H- How'd you guys do? And what about Renji and Grimmjow?"

Rukia turned to Ishida, who clearly wasn't going to say anything, and then turned back to Ichigo, "Well, Renji-"

"Let him see for himself!" Senna scolded, and then forced Ichigo down on all fours.

"What are you-"

"C'mon. We'll get you to the front of this crowd!" The girl grinned.

Through the bustling pairs of legs, Senna squeezed herself through and held Ichigo's hand to drag him along with her to the front. When they came out, they both stood up and dusted themselves off.

"Kurosaki-kuuun!" Inoue called.

Ichigo turned and saw Inoue being squished between some other girls. When he made to help her, she was forced backwards through the crowd in Rukia and Ishida's direction.

"Inoue!"

"I'm fine! Check- check the board!" the girl said with a smile, and then pointed at the bulletin board as she disappeared.

"Oh God!" Senna shouted.

Ichigo turned, "What?!"

"See for yourself!" the girl said, and then stuck her finger on the fifteenth spot.

Next to it, her name was printed.

Ichigo quickly turned, "Senna, that's great! You're in the top sixteen of our class!"

"Well, it's not the top ten, but I'll take it. And my parents will too. Check out everyone else's spots!" She said with a smile as she allowed herself to disappear into the crowd like she was a sacrifice.

Doing just that, Ichigo decided he would start from the lower fifties. If he scored badly, hopefully it wasn't any worse than that.

Up and up his eyes climbed until they landed on the twenty-eigth spot. Keigo must've been glad to know he'd claimed that spot.

With a smile, he continued upwards. To his pleasant surprise, Renji was number twenty-five on the list.  _"W- way to go, Renji! And he was flipping out last night…"_  Last time, he hadn't even scored in the top forty. This was a personal best for him.

Next up, in the twenty-second spot was Honsho. Then Chad in the nineteenth spot. Shuhei was next on number eighteen, Mizuiro was just above him in the seventeenth spot, and then Senna was sixteenth on the list. Ichigo felt an alarm go off in his head. His name, nor Grimmjow's, had appeared just yet. Hopefully Grimmjow was somewhere in the ball park with everyone else.

As he continued up, he saw that he had come in fifteenth place, just above Senna.

"Nice!" he shouted ecstatically.

Other people around him looked at him like he was a maniac for a second, and he laughed it off as best he could. But he was in the top fifteen! That was amazing! He'd missed it when he saw Senna's score because she was so happy about being number sixteen that he looked away from the board.

Next up was Tatsuki, who was thirteenth on the list. Then in the twelfth spot was Inoue.

" _Everyone's doing so good. Come on, Grimmjow!"_

His brown eyes continued up to the ninth spot where Stark's name was. Then in sixth was Halibel. He kept going to the fifth spot and smiled once again. Rukia had come in the top five again.

" _I bet Ishida is number one… But what about Grimmjow…?"_  he thought.

His brown eyes couldn't have gotten wider when he saw Ishida's name in second place, and Grimmjow's name sitting in the number one spot on the list. Wiping his eyes to make sure he was seeing clearly, Ichigo had to take a step back to deal with the shock.

"I… I can't believe he's number one…!"

No wonder Ishida looked so upset!

Grimmjow Jaegerjaques! Number one at Karakura High with a perfect score!

It had to be a dream. It just had to be!

Not only had Renji done well, but Grimmjow and everyone else had too.

As best he could, Ichigo tried to keep himself from crying at his excitement and his relief. Something was welling up inside of him, and it was mostly because of Grimmjow.

Even more pleasantly, not even Ulquiorra, who had come in fourth, or Szayel-Apporro, who was in third, was able to beat him.

" _Way to prove yourself to the non believers, Grimm. Even I doubted you for a second there…"_

Just as Senna had, the boy allowed himself to be absorbed by the crowd of eager students. Hopefully, they too would see Grimmjow's ability to defy the odds and he'd show them he was more than just a meathead.

When he fell out of the crowd, he was surprised when he didn't hit the floor. Instead, he was caught and held in Renji strong, tattooed arms.

"Renji-"

"Did you see it, Ichigo?!" the redhead asked excitedly.

"Yeah! You did great, Renji!"

"Party at my place tonight! YEAAYUUH!"

Senna folded her arms, "You mean at  _Urahara's_  shop?"

"Sh- shut up!"

Ichigo got Renji to let him go, and then stood up. Everyone else in the group, apart from Ishida, stood around talking animatedly about their scores. Inoue turned and looked at Ichigo with a beautiful smile, then walked over to him.

"I knew he was smart!" she chirped.

"It's about time he showed it!" The orange-haired boy replied. A tugging at his sleeve made him turn, "Rukia? What is it…?"

"Ichigo… I need to… well, never mind… For now…"

"You sure-"

"WHOA! Jaegerjaques got the number one spot!" everyone heard someone call out.

"He must've cheated…" another person said dubiously.

"You can't cheat on these tests, baka!"

"I don't think he has what it takes to get a perfect."

"Well well! What is all this commotion in my hallway?" Miss Misato asked as she came down the hallway. "Class starts in two minutes. You can all check your scores later."

Ignoring her, the students who were debating continued, "He totally had to cheat!"

"Give it a rest already…"

"No! Cheaters don't deserve-"

"I SAID CLASS STARTS IN TWO MINUTES!" Miss Misato yelled again, effectively clearing the hallway. "That's what I thought." She smiled.

Inside the classroom, Ichigo just couldn't hold in his excitement. He was  _tempted_  to tell Grimmjow everything now. Tempted, but not convinced.

"Cheer up, Ishida!" Renji said, with a slight mocking in his tone.

"What's wrong, Ishida-kun?" Inoue asked innocently after flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"He's just mad that his record was broken. By Jaegerjaques!" the tattooed man said.

"I could understand if Kuchiki-san had bested me, but I can't fathom how Jaegerjaques could have possibly… Unless… he cheat-"

"Ishida-kun!" Inoue shouted seriously, silencing the classroom, "Jaegerjaques isn't that kind of person and you know it! Everyone in our group knows that he works hard for the things that he wants now thanks to his having been with Kurosaki-kun! "

" _H… having_ been _?"_  the orange-headed boy thought curiously.

As she stood over Ishida's desk, with all eyes on her, Inoue did not falter. She stood firm with her conviction. Her determination glimmered in her bright gray eyes.

The room remained silent until Senna decided to speak, "Anyone who thinks someone could have cheated on that test is an idiot. They took our phones and made us wear short sleeves to make sure there weren't any answers on them. They took so many precautions to keep us from cheating, and had monitors watching us the whole time!"

Ishida gave in and sighed, "You're right… You're both right…"

"You know she is!" Miss Misato interrupted, "Any merit the student who scored in the number one spot got was earned through effort. We watched you kids and practically knew how many  _breaths_  you took while testing."

Ichigo couldn't take the feelings welling up in his lower gut. Grimmjow had out-shined everyone and his friends were defending him about it…? How amazing!

It was obvious he hadn't cheated! Sure he was crazy, but he wasn't stupid. If he'd been caught cheating, his test would have been voided. He would've had no real chance at a future then.

Miss Misato pulled out a few packets and walked to the center of the classroom, "If you'd all take your seats and calm down, we can begin today's lesson."

While staring out the window at the rising sun, Ichigo couldn't help but smile. "Way to show everyone just how bright you are, Grimmjow."


	31. Super Badass!

Monday afternoon.

As he walked down the hall bustling with students eager for lunch, Ichigo kept his eyes peeled for a sign of blue hair. After that surprising score he had seen this morning, he had to say something to Grimmjow. He deserved some praise for his accomplishment. For as much as everyone thought he was a no good, incompetent, simpleton, he had proved them wrong.

The boy stood on his tiptoes when a blue-haired person exited the building a ways down the hall. Quickly, he pushed through the crowds and busted through the doors to catch them. To his dismay, with less people around, he could see that it was just a girl who had dyed her hair a color that was strikingly close to Grimmjow's.

"Damn it…" he said disappointedly.

"Looking for someone?" came Grimmjow's familiar raspy voice from behind him.

"Grimmjow!" Turning, Ichigo smiled warmly up at the man.

"I know you're blown away at my skills. If you want my autograph, I might be willing to give it to you." The bluenette said and then flashed a toothy grin.

Ichigo blushed at those white teeth that stood firmly behind that confident smile of his, but then shook his head. "I'm proud of you, Grimm. You really showed your stripes to everyone here."

Grimmjow stuffed his hands in his pockets nonchalantly, "I had a lot of time to brush up on my studies over my vacation. My mom wouldn't leave me alone until I did. I've never met a more persistent woman in my life…"

"Like mother like son, huh?"

"No, we're nothing alike! Don't  _you_  say that, too! … Frikin' Neliel…" the larger man fumed.

"Heh. So how was your vacation? I haven't really been around you enough to ask."

"It was okay. I missed this place, though. My favorite thing is here, after all."

"Favorite- I can only imagine what that might be..."

"I'm serious. I really just wanted to come home."

"Yeah, being all the way out in Dubai with your mother who acts just like you must have been  _torture_." Ichigo teased.

"You have no idea… How was your vacation? Did you go anywhere or did you stay here?"

"I'd actually rather not talk about it…" the boy responded, and then looked away.

"'Kay, we don't have to."

"So how are you doing, Grimmjow? I heard about your accident…"

"I figured you would have. Neliel just can't leave you alone when it comes to me."

"Is that such a bad thing? Maybe it's because she knows I'm one of the most responsible people in your life."

"You could be more than that-"

"IIIII-CHIIIIII-GOOOOOOOO!"

Said boy and Grimmjow turned when they heard Keigo shouting obnoxiously. He was tearing through the hall in their direction with Mizuiro hot on on his tail.

"Ichigo! Come eat lunch with us!" the boisterous boy said happily, "Did you see my score?!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes and puffed out his cheeks. He was finally getting some time to talk to Grimmjow, but now it would be ruined. Not that he didn't care about his friends or Keigo's exam score, but Grimmjow was a friend too. And the two of them really needed to talk, even if it wasn't about Ginjo.

"Kurosaki, aren't you gonna go eat with them?"

"No, I wanted to talk to you. C'mon, I know a good place to talk where we won't be bothered." Ichigo said, and then took off walking hurriedly.

Grimmjow shrugged his shoulders indifferently and followed him.

…

"I should've known you were going to bring me here." The bluenette said as he stepped into the familiar garden in the center of the school.

Something about it seemed so… symbolic. Every time the two of them had a moment in here and then came back, it seemed to have gotten greener and filled with more radiant flowers. Not to mention, as Kurosaki had pointed out, it had nearly doubled in size since last year.

When Ichigo took a seat on one of the stone benches, Grimmjow did the same right beside him. "What did you want to talk about?" he asked curiously.

"Grimmjow, I wanted to ask you about your accident. It made me very worried about you. Your mother and Neliel are too. Did you tell one of them about it, at least?"

"Nope, because they don't need to know. They'd prolly just overreact anyway. But check this out." The man said, and then lifted his uniform shirt and undershirt.

Underneath them was a large scar, tearing its way from his broad chest to his navel. It wasn't too deep, but it was pretty wide. Ichigo leaned over and touched it gently, earning a grin from the larger man.

"Who did this to you?! How did this happen?"

"You remember those idiots from the park who crowded me that night? The ones you helped me beat?"

"Yeah…"

"One of them did this to me. I'll admit me being a little wasted while driving wasn't my best idea… That's how he knew I was vulnerable. That night, he must've waited for me to get in my car, and then when I was alone on the road he, ran me off of it into a building. My car was fucking totaled, Kurosaki! My baby is gone now…"

"Grimm…" Ichigo said, feeling even guiltier than before.

If only he had said something different to him that night, Grimmjow never would've stormed out in search of a drink.

Grabbing Ichigo by the chin, Grimmjow pulled the boy closer. "I know what you're thinking. But it's not your fault. I was planning to go out drinking anyway. It helps me relax. Besides, I'm no sellout, especially not of someone I love. Those assholes won't ever get me to give you away." Before Ichigo could respond, the bluenette stood up and scratched his head. "I gotta get going. But I'll see you around, Kurosaki."

The boy watched as the man left him alone in the garden. And for a few minutes, he sat there. He was glad that Grimmjow was okay, and glad that his mother had come home with him. Things really were looking up for him, weren't they?

When he stood and left the garden, he was fully intent on heading home for the day. He made to leave campus grounds, but when he heard Rukia calling, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Turning, he saw her coming up to him with an unusually serious look on her face.

"Rukia? What's up? Are you okay?"

"Why did you let Grimmjow leave just now?" the girl asked.

Ichigo was surprised at her words. He had no idea she had seen them together as he suspected she had eaten with their usual group today. "Well, he was going home so he could rest before he went to work. There was no need for me to keep him here."

With a disapproving shake of her head, Rukia folded her arms. Standing just a few inches away from him she spoke so only he could hear, "That's not what I mean, you know. What I mean is I know why you aren't  _with_  him anymore. It's so disappointing because you two were so happy together." Her words were shocking enough to leave Ichigo speechless, his eyes were open wide and his mouth was so agape they gave him away, so she continued, "I'm one of your closest friends. Did you think I didn't know? Because I've known for a long time. And so has everyone else…"

"Rukia-"

Before he could state a clear thought, said girl smacked him hard across the face. "Why did you think it was okay to hide something like that from us?! Don't you think we care?! We're your friends!"

"… It was… honestly none of you guys' business…" When he saw Rukia lifting her hand again, Ichigo processed a better answer for her, "I didn't want to trouble you all like that time with Aizen. You all tried to put yourselves in danger for my sake, when I was already too far gone for any of you to reach. I was trying to save Inoue… Both of us were in too deep. I didn't want to see something like that happen again-"

Again, Rukia sent her hand across his face. "We're your  _friends_! That's what we do! If the Aizen incident was your reason, then think about it from Inoue's point of view! You think she was okay with you throwing yourself into the fire for her sake?! No, she wasn't! But that's what you did because that's what friends do! They're there for each other through thick and thin and reach out a hand when no one else will! That's what we'll always do for each other and you know it! And I that's why you've shouldered all of this pain and heartache on your own… isn't it...?"

Ichigo stood stock still. He'd never thought about it that way before. When he went foolishly after Inoue, he never imagined that maybe she didn't want him endangering himself for her sake. But at the time, nothing mattered but her safety. Now he was in her shoes and everyone was coming after him, in a sense.

He stared at the shorter girl standing in front of him who had offered a different perspective for him on the situation, "Rukia…"

"Grimmjow would be right here with us if he knew you were hiding what's been going on between you and Ginjo from him. He's a friend too, right?"

With wide brown eyes full of shock, Ichigo nearly dropped his schoolbag. "How did you-"

"Do you really think Renji is any good at keeping secrets from me? I got it out of him and then word just spread around our group. You can't keep secrets from us for too long. And you know what, you shouldn't keep it from Grimmjow any longer either."

"I-"

"Promise you won't keep anymore secrets from us, Ichigo."

"Rukia-"

"Promise me! You're not the kind of man who would break a promise, so I know you'd tell us if you needed help if you promise me!"

"… I… I promise I won't keep secrets from you all anymore. But… Rukia-"

"Go after him, Ichigo. Go after Grimmjow and tell him about this. It's not fair for you to keep it from him any longer."

"R- right!" the boy said.

He didn't know how or why, but knowing that everyone else knew sent him over the edge. If they knew, then Grimmjow should know too. Even if that meant he'd have to tranquilize him and tie him down forever. There would be no more secrets. No more fears, no more lies. It was time for all of that to melt away.

As fast as he could, Ichigo took off in the direction he had seen Grimmjow leave the school in. He had to find him, and fast.

* * *

When Rukia arrived at the usual spot during lunch, she took a seat and didn't say a word. She didn't need to.

"Did you tell him?" Senna asked.

"Yeah. It was about time someone did." The girl responded.

" _Kurosaki-kun… Good luck! We'll all be here to help you when you need us."_  Inoue thought with a smile as she looked up at the blue sky.

Ishida adjusted his glasses knowingly. He had the hardest time keeping what was right in Ichigo's face from him.

"You know… I'm the one who he told first." Renji smirked in Senna's direction.

"' _I'm the one who he told first!_ ' I'm Renji and I'm a baka!" Senna mocked.

Shuhei shook his head and grabbed Renji by the arm, "I'm just glad we  _all_  know. I can't believe he thought he could hide it for the rest of his life… Or… for however long he planned to."

"That's right, Renji." Chad added, "It's a good thing you can't keep a secret from Rukia."

"Wait, so I'm the bad guy here?!" Renji asked.

"You're neither a bad guy or a hero in this situation." Rukia began, "You're a friend."

"Yeah, an incredibly annoying friend." Senna giggled.

Falling back into the grass and pulling Shuhei down with him, Renji sighed. Sometimes, it seemed he just couldn't win for losing.

* * *

It hadn't taken long.

Ichigo had found Grimmjow. He'd found him walking downtown, but he did not approach him. That's because after a few minutes of watching him, he'd seen that Grimmjow was currently tailing someone.

The guy he was following looked familiar. He couldn't tell, but it seemed like he was one of the punks who had tried to crowd Grimmjow that night in the park.

For a few minutes, he tailed Grimmjow as he tailed this fellow. The three of them eventually wound up in a less crowded part of the downtown area. There were a few students, who were probably skipping school, here and there, and a few other people just strolling about.

Ichigo came to a stop and quickly hid behind a building when the man noticed he was being followed.

He hastily turned and faced Grimmjow, who immediately threw his booksack to the ground and sprinted towards him.

From his safe place behind the building, Ichigo watched as Grimmjow roughly tackled the guy to the ground and the two of them tussled and flipped around. Somehow, the other guy ended up on top and then started laying mercilessly into Grimmjow. He punched him in his sides, all over his head, and tried to break the guard Grimmjow had set up to shield his face.

A few of the people watching the exchange got alarmed, and some of them fled the area.

When he heard Grimmjow cry out in pain, Ichigo dropped his booksack and made to help him, but what happened next stopped him.

The man pulled out a pocket knife. Before he could use it though, Grimmjow busted out through his guard and smashed his forehead against the other guy's. This caused him to struggle while holding his knife, and eventually he dropped it. When the guy fell backwards, Grimmjow shoved him off, intentionally throwing him against the building beside them, and stood up. After brushing himself off, he started walking off.

A crowd of schoolgirls who had witnessed the fight started squealing at the tops of their lungs about how epic that was. Apparently, their fear of the fight was drowned out when they saw Grimmjow's dashing good looks.

Ichigo watched as the five of them swarmed him and asked for his phone number.

"I've got shit to do, so I don't have time to pussy foot around downtown." He heard Grimmjow say.

When he left the girls, who were all near swooning, one of them called out to him. "Badass!"

After a few seconds, all five of them counted down from three and then called out, "Super badass!" in unison.

Admittedly, Ichigo was quite jealous about Grimmjow getting all of that attention from people who were interested in his physique and his looks.

The five girls ran by him and said they needed to find out where he lived so they could be his fanclub.

With a sigh, the orange-haired boy turned in the direction Grimmjow had headed. It was then that he noticed that Grimmjow had neglected to get his booksack. He walked over to it and picked it up.

"What kind of person throws their booksack on the ground and forgets it?!" he shouted.

* * *

Monday evening.

Sitting in his bedroom and finishing up some homework in a t-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts, Ichigo did his best to ignore Grimmjow's booksack that was lying over in the corner by his guitar. No matter how far he tried pushing it from his mind though, it kept resurfacing.

It didn't help that the math he was doing made him want to think about anything but the complex and confusing problems in the textbook.

Grimmjow.

He'd been called a badass by those girls. And if he was honest with himself, that's always what Grimmjow had always been. Selfless, fearless, stubborn, powerful… He had been willing to take on a bear for his sake! If that wasn't proof, he didn't know what was.

" _At some point, he was_ my _badass…"_  the boy thought solemnly.

Turning from the mind-numbing problem he'd been stuck on for the past twenty minutes, Ichigo looked directly at the undelivered booksack in the corner and sighed. In French class, they'd been given homework. There was no way Grimmjow would get it done without his book or without his notes. If he didn't take it to him now, it'd only add to the guilt of him not keeping his word to Vivienne about helping Grimmjow catch up on his schoolwork.

"I won't break anymore promises... And I won't continue to hurt Grimmjow." He said, and then stood up from his desk.

Everything that had happened up to now… Dealing with Aizen, dealing with a separation, Ginjo, their breakup, their seemingly unshakable and unbreakable friendship, all of the people who the universe had used to tell him they were meant to be together, everything had added up to  _them_. Ichigo and Grimmjow, plus the many things they were: an unstoppable powerhouse, compliments, enemies, friends, lovers.

As he changed his clothes, the boy couldn't help but think of how close they'd become even while they were broken up. Their friendship was stronger than Ginjo or anything he could throw at them. The things they had gone through only proved to him that there was no one else for him but Grimmjow. And more than anything, they had so much fun when they were together.

He wanted it all back. Helping Grimmjow and at least enlightening him would be a start to that.

Picking up the booksack, Ichigo smiled when he smelled Grimmjow's familiar musky, arousing, overpowering scent on it.

"I… I don't want to be with anyone but him." He said.

Without wasting anymore time thinking about what to do, he left. He left his house and headed down the familiar path that led Grimmjow's house.


	32. The Truth Is…

The same evening.

With each step he took down the smooth pavement in Rukia and Grimmjow's neighborhood, Ichigo felt himself growing more and more nervous. On his back was the booksack that Grimmjow had forgotten earlier when he threw it off to fight that guy in the downtown area. With it, Ichigo had been given the perfect reason to visit him.

Looking up to the sky, he noticed that the lingering clouds were departing and the evening stars were beginning to appear one by one.

With sweaty palms, Ichigo realized he was scared. Deep down, even though he trusted Grimmjow completely, he knew the man had a temper that was a real bitch to get control over. And although it appeared that he had gotten some control over it over the past few months of their separation, Ichigo knew once he found out Ginjo was the cause of their break up he would lose his mind.

"For now, I guess I should just start out slow and see if he needs help catching up with his schoolwork…" he said nervously, and then looked back down to see the Jaegerjaques mansion he'd been heading to.

Knowing that he owed Grimmjow, and even Vivienne, that much, he didn't slow down when he got near their house. In fact, he sped up.

Up the sidewalk that led to the front door, lit by dim landscape lights, he walked. His mind was set on at least be friendly with Grimmjow tonight. He deserved that much.

After reaching out his finger and pressing the doorbell, he waited patiently for an answer. He was thankful that it didn't take long for someone to come to the door.

It was Neliel. After pulling back the curtain and peering through one of the window panes next to the door, she quickly unlocked the door and openened it. Sticking her head out, she smiled happily when she saw Ichigo standing on her front porch. "Ichigo! What are you doing here?!" she asked.

The boy pulled Grimmjow's booksack off of his back and held it up. "I'm here to give this to Grimmjow. He left it earlier. Is he here?"

"Of course he is! Don't worry, I'll give it to- Oh! Um, actually… Why don't  _you_  come in and take it to him? I'm sure he'd love to see you." The girl said, and then opened the door all the way to allow him to come inside.

"Thanks, Neliel."

"No prob! He should be up in the workout room… where he usually is…"

"Right." Ichigo said, and then walked past the teal-haired girl.

He made his way up the stairs, wondering what he should say. The anticipation of doing it was really getting to him. He started to feel a lump in his throat, his heart started beating faster, and his palms got even sweatier.

The boy sighed lightly. Walking through this immense mansion reminded him of all the times he'd been through here at Grimmjow's side, as his boyfriend. It had been quite a long time ago that they were together…

When he reached the workout room, he paused and took a moment to regain his composure. If he came off as too nervous, then Grimmjow would surely know something was up.

Gently, he knocked against the heavy door and waited patiently for a response.

"Neliel, if you're going to spray me again with that damned water gun, I swear I'll-" Grimmjow began. His blue eyes widened the moment he opened the door and saw Ichigo standing in his hallway, looking very adorable with an unusually nervous look on his face and red cheeks. "Kurosaki… what are you doing here?"

"Hey Grimmjow. I came here for you..."

"Really?" Grimmjow asked, and then opened the door all the way, indicating for him to come in.

Ichigo walked past him and turned around so he wouldn't see that the booksack on his back belonged to him. Then he took a seat on the weight bench, making sure that his back was facing the wall.

"What are you doing here?" Grimmjow repeated, and then walked up in front of him. "You said you came here for  _me_ … What does that mean?"

"I…" unable to think, Ichigo just stopped talking to avoid babbling.

" _It's like he doesn't even know his booksack is missing…"_ he thought.

For a moment, he took note of the bluenette's shirtless form. The bruises from that confrontation earlier were evident now, spread across his curvaceously muscular torso. And then there was that large, dark scar from where he had been stitched up which was just as prominent as it had ever been.

"You got something stuck in your throat? Why aren't you talking?"

"… Well, I came here to give you this, you baka." The boy responded, and then pulled the booksack off his back. "What kind of person forgets their booksack…?!"

"Oh that? Che, get over it."

"You never would have done the French assignment that's due without your notes. It's not something to just 'get over'...!"

"You came here to give me that? That's what you meant by 'I came here for you'?"

"Well, not entirely. Back when you were in the hospital, I… kind of promised your mom I'd help you catch up with your schoolwork that you missed when you took your winter vacation early. So I came here to try and do that."

Rolling his cerulean eyes, Grimmjow took his bag from Ichigo. Of course that's what he'd come her for. He realized though, that this was the opportunity he'd been waiting for. Studying alone with Kurosaki could very well lead to… other things… "I guess we can study for a while." He said.

"Oh, okay then. Let's go to your room. Not much we can do in here…" Ichigo said, before standing up from the weight bench.

"Lemme grab a shower first. I'm pretty sweaty, as you can see." The bluenette smirked, and then started flexing his sweaty muscles trying to arouse Ichigo.

"I'll wait in your room." The shorter boy commented dismissively, and then shook his head.

"You know… you could always join me in the shower instead of just waiting for me to be done… I have clothes you can sleep in, in case you end up sleeping over from getting too tired…  _studying_  and all." Grimmjow said, putting an emphasis on the fact that they'd be studying.

"Nice try, Grimm. I'll be waiting for you when you're done."

With that, Ichigo headed to the man's room.

When he got there, he took a seat on the bed.

Grimmjow, who had followed right behind him, leaned over the smaller boy then grabbed a t-shirt and pair of shorts that were at the head of the bed. He winked down to him when he caught him blushing.

"You want me, don't you Kurosaki?"

"Go take your shower… baka…"

Without another word, Grimmjow got off the bed and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Ichigo sighed. Looking down, he realized these were the same sheets he and Grimmjow had done so much on… Falling back onto them, he stared up at the ceiling and grabbed two handfuls of the thick comforter underneath him. This room smelled just like Grimmjow. The same heavy scent he always had on him.

He turned his brown eyes to the entertainment center and was surprised to see it was unusually neat. When he sat up, he noticed that for the first time in the history of knowing him, the rest of Grimmjow's room seemed in order, too. It was so strange.

After a few minutes of sitting alone in the room, Ichigo was glad when Grimmjow came back from taking his shower. "That took you a while… What were you doing in there for so long?" he asked.

"Sorry, I had to wash my hair." The man smirked, and then shook his head of the lingering water.

"It's fine. We don't have too long to study today since it's already getting pretty late, so what do you want to start with? We have a French project to work on, that seems like a good place to begin."

"I think we should start with history. I have some chapter assessments to take care of from last semester. Besides, I'm not in the mood for French right now."

"Okay. Get the textbook and some paper and we can start."

"I know, Kurosaki. You don't have to tell me that." The man responded, and then got the materials from his desk.

…

Sitting comfortably at the head of Grimmjow's bed against his many pillows, Ichigo read over the next chapter in the textbook so he could make sure Grimmjow's answers to the assessment would be correct.

Grimmjow, therefore without a textbook, used that as an excuse to turn on the television. Ichigo only agreed under the condition that the volume stayed low so he didn't get distracted while he read.

"Oi, Kurosaki! Check out this guy about to faceplant in the mud!" the bluenette shouted excitedly.

"Grimmjow, I'm trying to concentrate here. I guess my priorities are higher than yours when it comes to you catching up in school…"

After muting the television, Grimmjow turned and looked Ichigo in the eyes. "You were following me today, weren't you?" he asked seriously.

Flustered, Ichigo averted his eyes and looked down at the textbook. "No, I wasn't!"

"Yeah you were. Don't lie to me."

"I was not…!"

"Well you had my booksack. I can't help but think that's the only reason why you did."

"Not even! Don't be so full of yourself, Grimmjow."

"Then why did you have it?" After a few seconds of getting no response, Grimmjow moved closer to the boy. "Why were you following me?" he asked.

"Okay, I  _was_  following you. You figured it out."

"Any particular reason you did that?" the man asked. He crawled forward and put his arms on either side of Ichigo's thighs, then rested his chin on top of the textbook the boy was holding.

"I wanted to talk about the schoolwork I said I'd help you with. That's what we're doing right now. And that's all." Ichigo said, feeling himself getting warm at Grimmjow's close proximity.

The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds, but Ichigo had to look away. Grimmjow was too adorable when he was prying for information like this. It made him wonder if he was the only one who saw this side of him.

With a disappointed look, Grimmjow backed off and gave Ichigo some space. "I guess. If you say so." He commented.

Since the subject of tailing someone had been addressed, Ichigo decided to ask about what happened earlier. "So… who was that guy you were fighting with? You seemed pretty intent on beating him… So much so that you tailed him across town."

"That prick was the guy who ran me off the road that night and ran his knife across my torso. The bastard is the reason the insurance company said my car was a total loss... I hadn't  _planned_  to see him, but when I did, I had to do  _something_. Did you think I'd run and hide from him?"

"No, that's not the kind of guy you are… Do you think he'll be a problem anymore?"

"Nah. I don't think I'll be seeing him around anymore."

Ichigo smiled. "I hope not. I only want you to be safe, you know…"

"Hey, we can pick up with this studying tomorrow after school. Let's play some games or something."

"I guess we can stop for tonight…" the orange-haired boy said, and then closed the thick history textbook. "But make sure you read chapter sixteen before I come over tomorrow."

"Right. Wait, you're coming over tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'm going to help you study. Why? Is that a problem?"

"No, I just… wasn't expecting this… Being with you like this, getting closer and stuff, it makes me happy."

Ichigo was practically speechless. He looked down and started fiddling with the corners of the textbook. "It's not like we weren't close before…" he mumbled.

"Anyway, let's play some Dragonball Z."

"… Really? Isn't it getting a little late?"

"I told you you could stay over if you wanted to." Grimmjow said, then hopped off of his bed and walked over to the entertainment center.

Ichigo caught the controller that was tossed to him. "You're serious…?"

"Heck yeah! This game kicks ass!"

"You  _would_  like these kinds of games, wouldn't you?"

"Fuck yeah!"

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo shrugged his shoulders. This game, although kind of violent, seemed like a healthy alternative compared to some of the latest games… especially the first person shooter ones.

"You wanna play me, or do you wanna tag team an enemy?" Grimmjow asked, before he walked back over and sat down on his bed again. "I'm cool with either."

"Let's… tag team an enemy."

"Pussy. You know you'd never beat me. But let's do it. We're a powerhouse when we work together, anyway."

Ichigo blushed and looked down at the green light in the center of his controller. Being here with Grimmjow was so… nice. But more importantly, it was fun. Just like old times…

As the game loaded, he looked around the clean room one more time before speaking. "Why is your room so clean? Were you expecting company or something?"

"Nah, not tonight. But ever since my mom came back, she's been riding my ass about keeping this place in order. If I don't do it, she'll go on a cleaning binge and throw some of my valuable shit away if she sees it on the floor."

"If it's valuable, why would it be on the floor?"

"… 'Cuz I'm lazy, okay… You know that."

With a chuckle, Ichigo shook his head. "I guess… So your mom is living here?"

"Kind of. She visits and talks to dad, which sometimes leads to her staying over at night. When she's not here, she's sliding her credit cards at fancy hotels around Karakura."

"Your mom sleeps here? With your dad…?"

"Oh no. When she stays over, she makes him sleep on the couch. I don't know what the hell is going on with them, and I don't really care. If they get back together, then they do, if not, oh well."

"Grimm, your parents are talking again. You should be happy about that."

"It makes no difference to me."

"It could some day… You never know."

"Well, that's not today. This talk is making me depressed…"

"Heh, I'm sure that'll go away when the game starts."

"You know it!"

Once the game loaded, Grimmjow set up the battle so they'd have unlimited time and at least four Senzu Beans to split. With the difficulty set at the highest level, he asked Ichigo if he was ready.

"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's pick our characters."

Expectantly, Grimmjow picked Vegeta, the hothead of the Dragonball Z universe. Ichigo picked another expected choice, Goku, the hero. The enemy was Broly, and they decided to give him four Senzu beans as well.

…

"Grimmjow, look out for the love of God! He's about to fire that green thing at you and kill you!" Ichigo shouted.

"I can see that! I'm stunned by this random ass electricity! Shit!" said man responded.

When he was taken out by the attack, Grimmjow threw his controller into the air and pouted; his face red with a scowl.

Ichigo laughed for a second, but then offered him a Senzu Bean.

"I don't need your pity." The bluenette brooded.

"C'mon… We can take him together and win the battle." Ichigo said as he made Goku fly around over Vegeta's defeated body.

"Do whatever you want."

Just as Ichigo made Goku land next to Vegeta, Broly rushed him with a super attack.

"Shit!" the orange-haired boy exclaimed, and then watched the attack unfold.

"Fuck this." Grimmjow said, and then jumped over to the console. As soon as Broly made to complete his attack move, he shut the game off.

"Hey, we could've rematched him! On that difficulty we might still have lost, I know, but still…"

"Che, you've still got that pussy-like attitude, I see. No confidence in yourself whatsoever."

Ichigo's eyebrows knitted down. "I was just trying to make it better! You're the one flipping his shit about a silly video game!" he said, and then got up.

Grimmjow watched as the boy put his shoes on and then left the room. "Kurosaki!" he called after him, realizing he was about to leave.

Ichigo hurried out of the mansion and out into the cool night air.

Yeah he was upset, but he wasn't really upset at Grimmjow… even though his comment was pretty uncalled for. With each step he took away from the Jaegerjaques mansion, he couldn't help but feel like he was losing himself. Because at one point, he was convinced that he would tell Grimmjow about what had been going on with him and Ginjo.

Just as he reached the stop sign at the end of the street, Ichigo was stopped by a strong grip on his right arm.

He turned and there was Grimmjow, in his bedtime attire, holding onto him firmly with a strange look in his eyes.

"Grimmjow…"

"Kurosaki, where are you going?" said man asked, before letting the boy go. "You shouldn't storm off like that… You know bad shit happens when we do that."

After taking a few steps away from the taller man, Ichigo looked up to the sky and then bawled his hands up into fists.

" _I wish things hadn't spun so far out of control…"_  he thought.

The stars above were plentiful… just like all the people who had pushed him to do this up until now. Every hour spent together, every little intimate moment, everything they had been through, all of it had come down to this.

"Kurosaki, what's wrong with you?" Grimmjow asked again.

Memories came flooding in at that moment. The memory of the school garden, the hot springs, Los Noches, the beach, the cherry blossom trees, the sub shop, the memories of the encouragement his friends gave him, the memories of his little sisters and father who always supported him, and of course, the memory of the promise he had made to his mother when he was younger.

He promised her that he would always be happy, no matter what he was faced with. Somehow, he had to be the one to try for that. She entrusted him with her spirit, which had the power to lift even those around her up. That meant something to him. And as best he could, he would try. Right here, right now, he would try to regain the promises he felt like he'd abandoned.

All the promises, both big and small, that he had made with Grimmjow came back to him. Compared to the many promises he'd made with everyone else in his life, Grimmjow especially, the vow he made to Ginjo seemed to lose its significance. It was losing its hold over him.

"Kurosaki, look at me." When Ichigo turned from gazing up at the star-filled sky, Grimmjow thought for a second that he could see them shining in his eyes. It took him a moment to realize that what he was seeing was actually tears. "Hey, what's wrong with-"

"Grimm… I…" Ichigo started. This had to come out. It had to be said. The boy closed his eyes, took a deep breath, opened his eyes again, and then spoke. "Grimm… The truth is… I never wanted to break up with you in the first place. I still love you, so much."

A deafening silence followed those words the moment they were spoken. Under the starlight, and under the white light of the moon, Ichigo stared into Grimmjow's large, blue eyes. There was no room for lies, fears, or regrets anymore.

The wind started to blow gently, causing a tiny hurricane of leaves to dance around the two figures at the end of the street.


	33. Lovers

_The stars above were plentiful… just like all the people who had pushed him to do this up until now. Every hour spent together, every little intimate moment, everything they had been through, all of it had come down to this._

_"Kurosaki, what's wrong with you?" Grimmjow asked again._

_Memories came flooding in at that moment. The memory of the school garden, the hot springs, Los Noches, the beach, the cherry blossom trees, the sub shop, the memories of the encouragement his friends gave him, the memories of his little sisters and father who always supported him, and of course, the memory of the promise he had made to his mother when he was younger._

_He promised her that he would always be happy, no matter what he was faced with. Somehow, he had to be the one to try for that. She entrusted him with her spirit, which had the power to lift even those around her up. That meant something to him. And as best he could, he would try. Right here, right now, he would try to regain the promises he felt like he'd abandoned._

_All the promises, both big and small, that he had made with Grimmjow came back to him. Compared to the many promises he'd made with everyone else in his life, Grimmjow especially, the vow he made to Ginjo seemed to lose its significance. It was losing its hold over him._

_"Kurosaki, look at me." When Ichigo turned from gazing up at the star-filled sky, Grimmjow thought for a second that he could see them shining in his eyes. It took him a moment to realize that what he was seeing was actually tears. "Hey, what's wrong with-"_

_"Grimm… I…" Ichigo started. This had to come out. It had to be said. The boy closed his eyes, took a deep breath, opened his eyes again, and then spoke. "Grimm… The truth is… I never wanted to break up with you in the first place. I still love you, so much."_

_A deafening silence followed those words the moment they were spoken. Under the starlight, and under the white light of the moon, Ichigo stared into Grimmjow's large, blue eyes. There was no room for lies, fears, or regrets anymore._

_The wind started to blow gently, causing a tiny hurricane of leaves to dance around the two figures at the end of the street._

...

Standing firm in his decision to speak out about his feelings, Ichigo stared into Grimmjow's blue eyes, ready to tell him everything.

Grimmjow was wide-eyed. He couldn't say anything because since their break up, Ichigo made it  _seem_  like they would never be together again. But this… this was exactly what he wanted. He had been waiting for a moment like this since the moment Ichigo said those devastating words that ended their relationship.

"Kurosaki…"

"Grimm… I have to tell you this before I lose my nerve to-"

"If you never wanted to break up with me, then why the hell did you?!" the bluenette interrupted, his voice elevating over the gently blowing wind.

Avoiding eye contact, Ichigo put his hands into his pockets nervously. "I... had no choice… But it was for your sake…"

"Is that so?" Grimmjow asked. He was really curious now.

"Yeah, it is."

"Are you gonna tell me?"

"I…" Thinking back to what Grimmjow had done the evening he walked in on Ginjo kissing him, Ichigo hesitated. But then he remembered that Grimmjow had been taking control of his anger, and he also recalled his friends who wanted him to do this. "I'll tell you. But you have to promise me you won't overreact when I do."

"Fine, I'll keep myself in check. I'm really curious about what you've got to say."

Wiping his eyes of the tears that had been threatening to fall since he looked at Grimmjow, Ichigo took a few steps closer to the taller man. "I'm such an idiot…" he says with a self-pitying smile. "I've broken so many promises just to keep one…"

Dumbfounded, Grimmjow scratched his head. "What does that mean?" he asked.

Looking Grimmjow over, Ichigo noted that he was only in a t-shirt and a pair of short shorts. "Let's go back to your place. It's kinda cool out here and you were crazy enough to follow me."

"Okay, let's go then."

When Ichigo started walking on ahead, Grimmjow followed from just a few steps behind him. He was truly, truly curious about what Ichigo was about to tell him. But more importantly, he said he'd never wanted to break up in the first place. He also said he still loved him. And that made him smile. The bluenette was genuinely excited despite the anxiety about what Kurosaki was going to tell him.

After walking through the mansion and getting back into Grimmjow's room, Ichigo took a seat on the bed as Grimmjow closed and locked the door when he entered the room. For a few seconds, he sat in silence, looking down at his hands that were lying on his lap. He wondered if Grimmjow would hold true to his word about not overreacting.

"Kurosaki, it's time to talk." Grimmjow said, looking at him expectantly in front of the door.

"Come sit. I've got a lot to tell you." The boy responded after looking up at the man.

Without hesitating, Grimmjow walked over and took a seat next to Ichigo, then leaned heavily against the wall behind them. "Out with it." He said.

Sighing heavily, Ichigo turned to Grimmjow. "I said I never wanted to break up with you, and that's the truth. I… You remember that evening you walked in on Ginjo kissing me, right?"

"What about it?" the bluenette asked warily.

"Okay… I don't want you to interrupt me, okay? Just listen to what I'm going to tell you."

"Okay."

"… That evening, I left the door unlocked so you could just come right in when you came over. Ginjo must have followed me and waited for the right opportunity to take advantage of me. He pinned me down and forced me to kiss him before you came in so you'd see us kissing. It was… it was all his plan… He was trying to break us up, and that's pretty much what he did."

"Wait, but you didn't break up with-"

"I said to just let me talk, Grimmjow. There's more to the story than that." Turning away from the man, Ichigo continued. "You overreacted, I'll admit that. But I expected that from you. The thing is, he took advantage of your anger and let himself get beat by you so he could have you put in jail. I visited both you and him the next day, and he made me an offer. He told me that he would drop all the charges against you if I broke up with you. And not only that, I had to…"

Grimmjow stared intently at Ichigo and noticed his Adam's Apple go up, and then come back down.

"I had to promise that I'd get engaged to him when he was ready… and I had to do it on my mother's name. Ever since you got out of jail, I've been dealing with him and keeping it all a secret. I… I know it was stupid… but… please… I just have to ask this favor of you…" Ichigo began, and then turned back to face Grimmjow. "Please don't hate me. You can call me baka, or crazy, or foolish, but just don't hate me, Grimm. I never, ever meant to hurt you. I was only trying to protect your future and it seemed like the only way… It would have been all my fault if you ended up in jail for assault. I could never live with myself if I ruined your future like that. You have so much going for you now, and none of that would have been possible if you were stuck in jail."

Ichigo turned away again in slight disbelief that he had revealed all to his ex. He was definitely nervous about what Grimmjow's reaction would be.

When nothing happened and the silence in the room became too deafening to bear, he cautiously looked back at the man.

The look on his face said he was anything but satisfied. Quickly, Ichigo grabbed Grimmjow by the shoulders and stared into his blue eyes. "You said you wouldn't overreact! Grimmjow, please! Don't do anything! If you do, then all I've been doing will have been for nothing!"

It occurred to him that he had not kept his promise to Grimmjow, so he had no reason to keep his word either.

Grimmjow snatched himself free of Ichigo's grasp and stood up quickly.

"Grimmjow!"

" _What Kurosaki had to be putting himself through… just for me…"_  Grimmjow thought angrily.

It was practically the same on his end. He'd been fighting Aizen's washed out lackeys for so long just so Ichigo would be safe. All this time they'd been suffering to protect each other…

"Grimmjow, your temper has never been a problem to me… I told you that in Daisetsuzan. You never needed to change because I've loved you for who you are all this time! It's great that you've been trying to, though. You… must really want to be with me again. How foolish of you to be so in love with someone like me…"

Grimmjow stood in place, contemplating all that had been revealed to him. Something about this made him very suspicious. It was all too sudden. "What's making you do this now, Kurosaki?" he asked.

"I'm doing this because I remember all the promises that I made to you before I ever promised Ginjo anything. Breaking the promise I made to someone who forced himself into my life could help me keep the ones I made to the all the people I love the most. More to that point my friends all said I should-"

Before Ichigo could say another word, Grimmjow sat down and pressed his lips against the boy's lovingly. He wrapped his arms around the boy's back protectively and pulled him close.

At first, Ichigo was surprised. This reaction was the last thing he was expecting. But he quickly warmed up to this warm, familiar embrace that he hadn't felt in months. Lifting his hands, he ran them up Grimmjow's back and then rested them on his shoulder blades.

After a few seconds of practically shoving his tongue down Ichigo's throat, Grimmjow pulled away. But he kept his nose pressed against Ichigo's, wanting nothing more than to maintain the closeness between them. "Kurosaki, I love you." He breathed out heavily.

"I love you, too." The boy smiled tenderly.

"I don't… I don't know where we go from here…"

Ichigo laid back on the sheets and pulled Grimmjow down with him. "I want to be with you. I want you back, Grimmjow."

"That's what I want, too." Said man grinned as he hovered over the smaller boy. Reaching over, he turned off his lamp and pulled out the top drawer next to his bed.

When he heard the plastic of a condom wrapper rustle, Ichigo blushed. "Grimm…"

"Do you want this, Kurosaki? I won't force you."

"I… I do."

"Good." Grimmjow said, and then put a condom between his teeth. Reaching back into the drawer, he pulled out a bottle of lubrication and put it on top of his night stand.

Ichigo smiled and then pulled down Grimmjow's shorts. Beneath them was something he hadn't seen in a long, long time: Grimmjow's erect penis just below that forest of light blue. When he made to move down, two strong hands stopped him.

"It's been too long since I last had you, Kurosaki. You can blow me later." Grimmjow said vehemently after taking the condom out of the wrapper and putting it on. He pulled his shorts down further and got out of them, before pulling his t-shirt over his head and tossing it to to the floor. When he noticed Ichigo staring intently at his scar, he grinned. "Does it bother you?"

"O- oh… no… I mean, it's kind of fitting for you, I guess. You finally have visual proof of your tenacity and perseverance."

"Got that right. I ain't ever giving up."

"Grimm, I… love you. I can't say that enough…"

"I know you do. And, uh, before I start… I have a confession to make."

Ichigo's brown eyes got wide in surprise for a moment. "R- really?"

Just what secret could Grimmjow have to reveal to him? Considering what he had just told him about Ginjo, he couldn't help but feel nervous about this confession.

"Yeah, I think you should know because if I don't tell you, I'll feel guilty."

"… What is it…?"

Grimmjow sat back on his posterior and sighed before beginning, "I… I was awake…"

"Huh? What are you talking about, Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked. He was honestly confused. What did he mean by 'I was awake'?

"I thought  _you'd_  remember something like that…"

"Grimmjow, what are you talking about?" the boy asked again.

"It was that time back in your tent at Daisetsuzan, I was awake the whole time. I heard all the things you said to me that night. And thanks to that, I knew how you felt about me."

Ichigo blushed. "You're… not serious… are you?"

"I'm dead serious. There's no way I could have been truly asleep when my dick was as hard as it was, you know."

"Pervert…"

"That's why I was so intent on getting you back. Well, that and because I love you, too."

Realizing something, Ichigo squinted. "If you knew how I felt, then why did you overreact that night I turned you down? You wouldn't have gotten hurt that night if you'd just remembered what I said before."

"Do you really need to ask me that? You were pretty much lying to my face, and denying me what I wanted most. How did you expect me to react?"

"Grimmjow-"

After scratching his head, said man crawled back on top of Ichigo. "It doesn't matter anymore, because you've admitted how you feel about me. And I'm on cloud nine right now." He whispered into the boy's ear.

Ichigo jumped when he felt Grimmjow bite his ear and then started kissing his way downwards.

"Grimmjow, put it in…" he moaned, and then started pulling his pants down.

"Mm?" the other hummed with his lips pressed against the boy's neck.

"You know what I said…! Put it in. I can't wait anymore."

"How bad do you want it?"

"… Don't make me do that…"

"Say it and I'll get started."

"I want it really bad, Grimm. Stop teasing me and do it already." Ichigo breathed.

"If you insist."

Taking the bottle of lubricant into his hand, Grimmjow squeezed the liquid onto his index and middle fingers, and then reached down to rub at Ichigo's hole. He kept rubbing for a few seconds, then slowly pushed them inside, earning a loud moan from the other.

"Keep it down… I'm pretty sure everyone's asleep." He said.

"Sorry… Your fingers are… too long for me to handle…"

"Well you might want to bite something, because you know they're nothing compared to Grimmjow Junior."

As he was fingered, Ichigo rolled his eyes. "You were serious about that name thing?"

"Duh." The bluenette said. Eagerly, he poured some lubrication onto his condom-covered penis and made sure to get it along the length of it. Once that was done, he looked back at Ichigo. "You ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, do it."

"Kay." Grimmjow said, and then pressed the head of his penis against the other's tight hole. As he pushed in, he got excited at the moans Ichigo emitted.

At first he kept a slow pace, moving in and out, but eventually he sped up.

Ichigo groaned loudly at the feeling. It had been such a long time since he had been with Grimmjow, and he'd forgotten how big he was. Ginjo may have had more muscle, but when it came to endowment, Grimmjow had him beat. "Aah…" he said.

To keep Ichigo quiet, Grimmjow stopped moving for a second and brought his hand up in front of Ichigo's mouth.

"What…?" the boy asked.

Sticking two fingers out, the larger man pressed them on the boy's lips. "Suck on these." He said.

Ichigo opened his mouth and did just that. His brown eyes widened when he felt Grimmjow start moving again, much faster than before. "Mmmmm!"

With his free hand, Grimmjow started stroking Ichigo's neglected member, timing it perfectly with his own pace. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against the boy's neck to kiss and nip at it.

Ichigo closed his eyes and enjoyed the feelings, both physical and emotional, he was getting from Grimmjow. Being with him again, it was nothing less than pure bliss. Encouragingly, he lifted his arms and put them on the man above him's curvaceous back.

"How much longer can you last?" Grimmjow whispered seductively in his ear as he kept stroking and fucking him.

Cheeks glowing red from embarrassment, Ichigo turned away from the man above him. He was definitely close, but if he came too early, Grimmjow would tease him.

It was no use, though. With a loud moan, Ichigo came all over Grimmjow's hand and his own stomach. "Hmmm aaah…!" he moaned.

"Heheh, I knew you wouldn't be too long."

As best he could, Grimmjow tried to avoid his own climax as he felt the other's orgasm pulsing around his length. But soon, it became too much for him to handle. When he pushed himself up and saw Ichigo blushing deeply, he couldn't resist.

"Ah damn…" he grunted as he peaked. Falling forward on top of Ichigo, he buried his face in the pillows beside the boy's head.

After cringing at the feeling of his sperm being smeared between himself and Grimmjow, Ichigo turned and stared at the man. "You have no room to talk because you don't ever last too much longer than me."

"Shut up…" Grimmjow panted.

The two of them lay still in place, feeling their hearts beating rapidly. After they calmed down a little, they stayed in their positions, just feeling the other breathing in and out in the stillness of the night.

"Are you… um… gonna pull out anytime soon? How can you keep an erection so long after ejaculating, anyway?"

"'Cuz I haven't had you like this in a long time." The man said, then sat up and pulled out of Ichigo. After pulling the condom off of his penis, he put it in the boy's face.

"Aw, Grimmjow! Get that out of my-"

"Look, baka." Said man stated, and put it closer.

"What…?" Ichigo asked. He took a close look at the used condom and then noticed it. "Oh…" he blushed. "That's… that's a lot of…  _yeah_ …"

"Tell me about it."

"You live for sex, don't you?"

"Only with you." The bluenette grinned, showing off his pearly whites.

"You should get rid of that…"

"No, you should drink it."

Ichigo quickly snatched the condom and tossed it into the trash can next to the bed. "Not tonight." He said.

"That's no fun."

"Grimmjow, I… I missed you a lot, you know… I missed this."

Sitting up, Grimmjow pressed his lips against Ichigo's. "I missed you, too. But where do we go from here? Do you want to be together again?"

For a second, Ichigo laid underneath Grimmjow, contemplating that. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to be with Grimmjow again. But unfortunately, there was still the matter of his vow with Ginjo that he had to take care of.

"Grimm, I do want to be with you again. But I have to deal with Ginjo first. And I hope you'll be there to support me when I do."

"Kurosaki…"

"Don't worry. His sex is nothing compared to yours." The moment Ichigo said that, he froze. Looking at Grimmjow, he immediately wished he'd never said it.

"You had sex with him…?!"

"Y- yeah. I had no choice…But we weren't together then, so don't be mad Grimmjow. When it comes to what we are right now, we're still not together. I don't want to be with you until I've removed Ginjo from my life. Well… my romantic life, anyway. Our relationship deserves more than that."

Grimmjow laid in place, completely quiet. He didn't know what to say. Honestly, he couldn't get over the fact that someone had manipulated the love of his life into breaking up with him, and  _then_  had the balls to fuck him. Kurosaki was his. He always would be, even if they were broken up. One thing about Grimmjow was he didn't like sharing, and he didn't like people stealing from him. He also didn't like the fact that this character was using Kurosaki's dead mother's name to hold him to a promise. Did he know how  _sensitive_  he was about her?  _"What kind of sick bastard is this guy…?"_  he thought with gritted teeth.

"Grimmjow?"

"… Do what you gotta do." Grimmjow said with a fake smile.

Buying into it, Ichigo brought his hands up and rested them on the man's back. "I will." He said, and then yawned.

"You tired?"

"A little… I guess I'd better get cleaned up so I can go home."

"No. You should spend the night with me."

"I don't think that's a good-"

"Please?" Grimmjow asked.

"Okay… I was too lazy to walk home, anyway."

"You know, you can take a shower if you want."

"Yeah, that sounds good." The boy said, before sitting up.

Grimmjow watched from on his stomach as Ichigo got off the bed and grabbed some clothes from one of his dressers. "Don't take too long." He said.

"You're not going to come with me?"

"No, I'm tired. Get back in here before I fall asleep, though."

"Right." Ichigo smiled, and then left the room.

And then Grimmjow was alone.

He was able to think clearly without Ichigo around. The one thing he knew for sure was that this Ginjo guy had to be dealt with, not only to get Kurosaki back, but to prove that no one, and that meant  _no one_ , was allowed to mess with what was his.

But damn it if he hadn't told Kurosaki that he wouldn't overreact like he did that evening he'd pummeled the bastard.

*Knock Knock*

"That was quick… Come in. Why the hell are you knocking?"

When Neliel stuck her head into the room, Grimmjow blushed and quickly pulled the sheets over his naked backside.

"Neliel! What the hell?!"

"Is Ichigo still here?!" the teal-haired girl asked excitedly.

"Get out of my room!"

"Ugh, you are so mean, Grimm-"

Irritatedly, Grimmjow picked up a shoe from underneath his bed and tossed it at the door.

Neliel quickly dodged it and closed the door.

"So aggressive!" she called, and then went on her way.

"Goat-face…" the bluenette commented.

The door knob turned again and he picked up another shoe, ready to hit his target this time.

It was Ichigo. He came into the room with wet hair and was wearing some of his clothes. "You're really not gonna take a shower?" he asked.

"In the morning."

After shrugging, Ichigo walked over to the bed and then got under the sheets with Grimmjow. The moment he did, he felt the other man's strong arms wrap around him and he was pulled closer to him.

"I'm glad you're here where you belong." Grimmjow said softly.

"Yeah, I know."

…

In the silence of the night, Grimmjow fell asleep long before Ichigo did. And for once, in a very long time, Ichigo smiled about his love life. He knew that he and Grimmjow weren't together at the moment, but there was hope.

He knew what he had to do for them to be together again. However, there was still one more person he needed to consult before he did it.


	34. Of Smiles and Happiness

Tuesday morning.

With the sun shining brightly and the temperature a tolerable one, Ichigo sat on the pavement just in front of his mother's grave in the cemetery.

He'd been there for at least two hours, just talking to her. Telling her about all that's been going on in his life.

Bringing his hands together, he sighed regretfully. "I'm… I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to you… And what's worse, I made you  _and_  Grimmjow suffer…" he said.

For a moment, he sat in silence. But he needed to tell her. Taking a deep breath, he looked back up at her tombstone. "I hope you can forgive me for choosing Grimmjow, even though I made that vow to Ginjo on your name. Grimmjow means everything to me. I can't imagine what my life would be like without him… And what's more, I can renew my promise to you because he makes me so happy."

Ichigo looked up to the white, puffy clouds above. Then he noticed the sun's position just behind them in the center of the sky. It was already noon.

"Have I been here that long?" he asked quietly, expecting no one's answer.

Getting up and dusting himself off, he smiled down when he saw Grimmjow coming to the entrance of the cemetery at the bottom of the large mound the place was founded on.

"I have to go now, Mom. Thanks for everything you've done for me, and I hope you'll understand why I've made the decision I have." The boy said, and then headed down the path that would lead him to Grimmjow.

When Ichigo reached the foot of the stairs, Grimmjow smirked and stuck his hands into his pockets. "You weren't in school today." He said.

"I see you were." The orange-head said, noting the man was wearing his uniform shirt unbuttoned towards the top with no undershirt on underneath it. That's the way he was wearing it when they'd first met, he recalled.

Just as he got up to Grimmjow, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds and its warm light found its way to him and the man in front of him. A gust of wind came from behind him and caused him to fall forward onto Grimmjow.

Thinking fast, Grimmjow dropped his booksack and caught Ichigo, staring down at him with an amused look. "Just as clumsy as ever, aren't you?" he asked.

"Shut up! You  _felt_  that wind! I wasn't being clumsy at all!" the boy retorted.

"Heh, whatever. Maybe it's because you're so light, then." Grimmjow teased.

"Just shut up…" After seeing the other's booksack on the ground, Ichigo looked at him disapprovingly. "Don't forget your booksack again, baka." He said.

" _One_  time I do that." Grimmjow said, then bent over and picked up his bag. "One time and you're never going to let it go."

"No, because you should be more careful with your things." Ichigo said. Putting the matter aside, he stood up off of the man and smiled warmly at him. "How did you know I'd be here?"

"Because I know you so well."

"… Really-"

"Your dad told me you were coming here." Grimmjow said, and then exited the cemetery.

"You… went to the clinic?" Ichigo asked curiously as he walked beside the taller man.

"How  _else_  would I have seen your old man, Kurosaki?"

"Don't try to make me seem like an idiot or something! You could've run into him on your way into town."

"You wanna get lunch with me before I go to work?"

"Sure. I think Ikumi is giving me the day off, so I can focus on other things." The boy responded.

"Let's go then."

* * *

Tuesday evening.

Sitting alone on the balcony at his house, Grimmjow held a cold, half full beer in his hands.

He'd gotten off of work a bit early today, so he figured what better thing to do than think?

" _Kurosaki…"_

The name had been echoing through his mind most of the evening through. He wondered what the boy was doing at the very moment.

The glass pane door slid open, causing him to turn and look over his shoulder. He was surprised to see his father coming out with a glass of beer in his hand.

When they made eye contact and the other still came and sat at the table, he was a little surprised.

"You can see me sitting out here, right?" he asked.

"I'm not a fool, Grimmjow. Stop treating me like I hate the thought of being in the same room as you. You are my son, after all." Julian said, and then lifted and drank from his glass.

"…"

"I've been talking with Nel… and your mother."

"Great." Grimmjow said, rolling his eyes.

"They both told me some very interesting things. And I figured it was about time I talked to you about them. Well… one in particular seems the most important."

"Look, I know you hate me. I know you hate what I do. And I know you want me to move out as soon as possible. If this is another lecture or-"

"Stop talking and listen. You get that habit from your mother, I swear…" Julian sighed when his son turned and stared off at the sunset. "The Kurosaki boy." He began. It earned him the cerulean blue eyes that were just as bright and prominent as Vivienne's. "I know… over the years I've given you a tough time. For someone who is as faithful as I am, the things you've done havebeen despicable at best…"

"I knew this was another lecture…"

"However, even I can see how much you and that boy care about each other."

Grimmjow's eyes went wide and his mouth was slightly agape.

Julian cleared his throat before he continued. "I may not understand it, and honestly I don't really want to… But as your father, I want nothing for you but happiness. It is my duty as your parent to see you content in this world we live in. I just so happen to notice how much you smile when he's around… even though you think I didn't know when he's here… you sometimes even laugh with him. That rough exterior is something you got from me and me alone, so I know how much it takes for someone to be able to get through it."

"Dad…"

"I'm sorry for looking down on you the way I have all these years. For so long, I was disappointed that you weren't what I wanted you to be. But after a serious talk with your mother… who was unnecessarily forceful with her opinion… I realized that nobody will be the way I want them to be. I can't control anyone but myself. And so, I won't stand in your way, and I'll work to see your preferences as less abhorrent."

"…" Looking down at the label on the beer bottle in front of him, Grimmjow didn't know how to respond. This was so… unexpected. So many things in his life were... turning around. Luckily it seemed it was for the best that he and Kurosaki were still broken up. Because soon, it seemed only fitting that that turned around as well.

"Do you love him?"

Grimmjow glanced up and looked his father in the eyes. "Of course I do." He answered.

"That's all I needed to know."

"You're  _really_  okay with all of this?"

"Well, I'm not throwing you a parade, or encouraging this kind of behavior, but I will be happy that you're happy. Live your life as free as you want, I've never been able to stop you from doing that before. And if you really love him like you claim to, then do everything you can to keep him."

"… Right."

"That being said… take care of the leech that's been keeping you two apart. You're a Jaegerjaques. We face our problems head on and get what we want in the end, no matter what."

"Heh, like you do with Mom?"

"… It's  _different_  with women, obviously. Sometimes, well most of the time, you need to just let them have their way… they're just going to take it, anyway."

At that, both he and Grimmjow started laughing.

"I guess I don't have that problem, considering Kurosaki is definitely a man."

"Hmm. Sounds like you've got it much easier than I did. Tell me something… are you… *ahem*"

"What?" Grimmjow asked.

"Are you… uh… well, I'm not entirely sure how to ask this without sounding lewd… but…  _you know_ …"

"Spit it out, old man."

"Well… as a Jaegerjaques, you'd certainly best be the dominant one in the relationship."

With a faint blush on his cheeks, Grimmjow nodded. "Yeah… I'm the one doing the-"

"I don't need the details, Grimmjow."

"Sorry…"

"So. Moving on to other matters, I thought it over and decided I'll help you get a new car. You put down any amount you want, and I'll match it."

"R-REALLY?!"

"Absolutely. I can't have my son, my only son, walking around Karakura like he doesn't have a cent to his name. It's bad for both our reputations. I'm also going to help you pay for your tuition."

"T-tuition…? I'm not going to college…"

"With scores like yours, you'd better go to college. Congratulations by the way. I think I'm the only one who hasn't told you that yet."

"I… I-"

"You know, I talked to your boss and he said he had something very good waiting for you after your first two years of proper schooling."

"Is that so?"

"Well, he wanted to give it to you once you earned more experience at the warehouse, but I asked if he would wait for you to at least get some proper schooling and he said that would be fine."

"So basically… I have to go to college."

"That's right. I wonder what he has in store for you…"

"A raise would be very appreciated."

"What do you need a raise for? Aren't you earning about seventeen dollars an hour?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I don't want more money. Besides, I only make about fifty hours every two weeks because of school."

"You are greedy. It pains me how similar to your mother you are."

"She and I are day and night, nothing alike at all." Grimmjow said, trying to force himself to believe that.

Julian smiled. Vivienne was right. Talking to Grimmjow had definitely helped him open up. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to hold a conversation with his son, let alone smile in his company.

The thing he was truly grateful for was just how bright the days in Grimmjow's future seemed. Even if he wasn't doing what he wanted him to, if his son was forging his own path in life, that's something to be even more proud of.

"There they are!"

Both he and Grimmjow turned when the door opened and Vivienne and Nel came out onto the balcony.

"Well well well! Never thought I'd see the day when you two shared beers and conversed. What is this world coming to?" Vivienne teased as she walked up behind Julian.

"We were discussing things."

"Things? Why not fill me in?" Vivienne insisted, sitting down in the chair next to the man.

"I'd rather not."

"Out with it, Julian."

"'Like day and night' and 'nothing alike', huh? You two are practically twins…" Julian mumbled to himself.

"What was that? Speak up. That's always been a bad habit of yours when it comes to talking to me." Vivienne said reminiscently.

Nel took a seat beside Grimmjow and smiled. For once, things were becoming normal around the mansion. Vivienne was frequently visiting and spending the night, their father was now on friendlier terms with Grimmjow, and even Ichigo was around more than he'd been in the past few months.

Looking at Grimmjow, she smiled. It was nice to see him content and laughing again.  _"You've had to suffer for way too long."_  She thought.

The bluenette noticed the girl smiling at him and raised an eyebrow. "The hell are you looking at?" he asked while his parents joked about something from times of old.

"Oh nothing. I'm just not used to seeing you smile. You should do it more often." Nel responded, bringing her knees up to her chest in the chair she was seated in.

"… Whatever…"

"Are you and Ichigo official again?"

"… That's-"

"None of my business?"

"Don't interrupt me! … Kurosaki said he had something to take care of before we can be together again. I don't know what it is, but I have something to take care of, too."

"What's that?" Nel asked curiously.

" _That's_  none of your business."

* * *

Across town.

After reaching XCUTION Industries, Ichigo looked over to the parking lot. He could see that Ginjo was still here, along with a few other employees.

That was fine with him. None of them would probably get in his way, considering how often Ginjo sent them away to have their private talks.

"Well… this one's going to put an end to this nonsense once and for all." He said, walking in through the glass double doors.

Riruka, sitting on one of the couches in the central lobby, saw Ichigo enter and smiled.

She got up and walked over to him as he made his way to Jackie's desk with her hands nervously behind her back. "Good evening, Ichi-"

"I have something important to do, Riruka." Ichigo interrupted. "I don't have time to argue today."

Jackie looked up from her computer screen. "Can you hold for just one moment?" she asked the person on the phone. "What do you need, Ichigo?"

"I need a private audience with Ginjo. Is he in his office?"

Riruka looked down and sighed. Of course. He'd never come to XCUTION just to visit or talk to her. It was always about Ginjo…

"Ginjo is definitely in his office. He just got back from a meeting with a third-party developer, so I doubt he's busy. You should be able to get that private audience with him." Jackie said.

"Thank you." Ichigo responded.

Without wasting any time, he walked over to the elevator and pressed the button that would send him up. Looking over his shoulder as he waited for it to come down, he noticed how depressed Riruka was and realized he had been unnecessarily cold to her. None of this was her fault. In fact, she'd tried being friendly with him several times only to be ignored for Ginjo.

"Riruka." He called.

Said girl looked up in his direction. "Huh?" she asked.

"We should hang out sometime. I think you'd fit in with our group nicely." Ichigo said, and smiled warmly at her.

With a blush, Riruka averted her eyes. "Hmph! As if!"

"Come visit the clinic sometime, okay?"

When the elevator dinged and the doors opened, Ichigo stepped inside and pressed the button to the fourth floor, where the executive office was located.

A serious expression found its way to his face as the elevator doors closed and he started traveling up.  _"I don't want anymore regrets. I don't want to break anymore promises. I can't continue lying to and hurting the people I love the most. And Ginjo… you're…"_

The elevator stopped with a ding. Once the doors opened, Ichigo stepped out of it and started walking down the hall.

Through the large windows, he could see the sun setting off in the west. And with a smile, he knew he was ready to face Ginjo.


	35. Understanding and Benevolence

_When the elevator dinged and the doors opened, Ichigo stepped inside and pressed the button to the fourth floor, where the executive office was located._

_A serious expression found its way to his face as the elevator doors closed and he started traveling up._ "I don't want anymore regrets. I don't want to break anymore promises. I can't continue lying to and hurting the people I love the most. And Ginjo… you're…"

_The elevator stopped with a ding. Once the doors opened, Ichigo stepped out of it and started walking down the hall._

_Through the large windows, he could see the sun setting off in the west. And with a smile, he knew he was ready to face Ginjo._

…

Ichigo stopped in front of Ginjo's office doors and inhaled as much oxygen as he could. After exhaling heavily, he knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"Come in, it's unlocked." He heard Ginjo say.

Taking hold of one of the handles, he turned it and pushed the door open.

As he stepped into the man's office, he closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He fidgeted with something in his pocket before looking up at Ginjo.

"Ichigo! Come to see me have you?" Ginjo said, getting up from his chair. "Wanna come and stay over at my place tonight?"

"No, stay sitting, Ginjo. I need to talk to you." The boy responded, and then walked over to the man's desk. "There won't be anymore nights like that. In fact, there won't be anymore nights between us at all."

With a questioning look on his face, Ginjo sat back down in his chair. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ginjo. I've decided to be with Grimmjow again. There is nothing between you and me anymore. Actually, there was never anything between us in the first place."

There was a brief silence between them, and then Ginjo started laughing hysterically, filling the room with noise.

Ichigo stood still, his conviction unwavering as the other's bellowing laughter echoed through the office.

"Ichigo! Just what kind of joke are you playing?"

"It's not a joke. I'm serious about this. More serious than I've been about anything in a long time." The boy responded, remembering the ordeal with Aizen.

"You couldn't possibly be. What about the promise you made to me? On your mother's name no less! Are you going to go back on that?"

At that, Ichigo smiled. It caused Ginjo to look at him confusedly.

"What the hell has gotten into you? Tarnishing promises on the deceased's name doesn't warrant a smile!"

"You don't know anything. That's why I'm smiling. I've already broken my promises to Grimmjow… Too many of them when I think about it."

"What promises? They couldn't possibly compare to the one you made to me." Ginjo said spitefully.

"I promised him I'd never abandon him the way you've forced me to. I said I would be his friend. I promised him I'd always be his." Ichigo responded, looking out the window behind the man in front of him to Karakura Town.

Now visibly annoyed, Ginjo slammed his fist on his desk, drawing Ichigo's eyes again. "That doesn't mean a damned thing!" he shouted.

"Not to you." The orange-haired boy said calmly. "But I know this will…" taking a deep breath, Ichigo continued. "I made a promise to my mother when I was little. That promise was… happiness."

"Happiness? What does that have to do with us?"

"Let me finish. I promised her that I would be happy in all that I do. I said it in front of my father and my little sisters. And I meant it. After all, I never lied to my mother."

"So what?"

"You may not have realized it, but I haven't been happy for a long time. Ever since you forced me into a relationship under your misguided attempt to repay my mother's kindness to you. And you know what? I'm not happy unless I'm with Grimmjow. You do not satisfy me the way he can."

"Ichigo-"

"We're over, Ginjo. Don't you understand? By breaking this cursed promise with you, who forced me to bend to your will, I can continue fulfilling the sincere promises I made to two of the people I love the most in this world."

"No! I-I won't let you go!" Ginjo shouted. "Just one phone call… just one! I can make that gutter rat disappear with just one phone call to someone who would bend the rules of the world for my sake!"

"Heh, is that all you can do? Threaten him? I thought you were better than that." Ichigo said disappointedly.

"You  _know_  I can wipe him out. That's why you let me have my way with you when we were on vacation together."

"… You won't do it. And I'll make sure you don't. Because I have this." The boy responded, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

Ginjo watched as Ichigo typed away on his phone, and then held it up in front of him. When the boy pressed the touch screen, a recording started playing.

" _No! I-I won't let you go! Just one phone call… just one! I can make that gutter rat disappear with just one phone call to someone who would bend the rules of the world for my sake!"_

"I have all the proof I need now. I knew I'd get you to say it again. And now, if anything happens to Grimmjow, you'll be locked away forever. I'm using your methods against you, now. After all, this is kind of similar to how you made me break up with him."

Ginjo got up and snatched the phone out of Ichigo's hand, then crushed it in his grasp. "Was that all you could think of?" he asked.

"I don't need that. Before I replayed it to you, I sent our whole conversation to my e-mail address. I also sent it to my dad's old phone just in case. Since he doesn't use it anymore, I took it from his room and hid it at Rukia's house. Like I told you before, we're over, Ginjo."

Ginjo sat down in his chair and leaned forward, resting his head in his hand.

" _So no matter what… Masaki… you'll deny me to the end?"_

First she went and died, then she beat him to Ichigo, locking him out of her life forever?

"Ichigo, why are you doing this? I can make you happy. I can give you financial security. I can give you the world in a golden box, yet you want to be with that street rat?"

Said boy shook his head. "You don't get it. Grimmjow might not have as much money as you do. He may not be able to take me around the world on fancy vacations at the drop of a dime. But… He's already given me the world. He gave me  _his_  world. It's one full of happiness, frustration, stupidity, childishness, pleasure, and so much more. This world we live in is no one's to claim, nor give. And I don't want it, either. Grimjow… he willingly gave me all he was, which is  _his_  world. Ginjo… I understand. I know your intentions were pure, if somewhat misguided, but you need to let go of them. My mother wouldn't want you trying to repay her by hurting her child… or children, should you try something like this with Yuzu or Karin. You said you wanted to give my happiness, but I had it long before you came into my life. There was no need for you to try to give me something I already had."

"Ichigo-"

"I love Grimmjow. That's never, ever going to change. And he stuck by me this whole time, even when it hurt him to do so. I know it did. But he stayed by my side… because he loves me, too…"

"…No…"

"Ginjo, I want you to find your own happiness. You've been losing your mind trying to repay my mother, but you never once thought about yourself, did you? You tried doing something benevolent for someone who did not return your feelings, and it turned into a whirlpool of chaos and hurt. You know what would make me even happier? If you found love. Find someone in this world who will love you for who you are, and not just what you can give them."

"Don't… don't leave me, Ichigo." Ginjo said, his calm and collected composure now broken.

"No, I was never really with you. Now it's time for me to go. Come find me someday when you've found your special someone, okay?" said boy responded with a smile.

Turning, Ichigo made to leave. He was going home now. And hopefully, Grimmjow would come over so they could begin putting their relationship back together. Even though… after all this time of being broken up, being together was what they had actually been.

* * *

Jackie continued reading through her magazine when the doors of XCUTION opened. She figured it was just Ichigo, coming back to talk with Riruka or Ginjo as he usually did. Though it had been about forty minutes since he'd left...

" _Wonder what made him come back after all that time…"_  she thought.  _"Oooh. That's a nice summer top. I might have to splurge and get it."_  She said, after turning the page in her magazine.

The winter was coming to an end; the weather proved that with how warm it had been lately. No more storms, no more snow, no more cold, no more getting sick.

It would be spring soon, a time of rebirth and growth. And that meant summer was just around the corner. Her wardrobe could have used a rebirth when she thought about it.

When a pair of hands landed on her desk, she looked up.

Before her was a man she did not recognize. He had blue hair and blue eyes that shined bright, not to mention he was desirably handsome.

"Can I help you?" she asked, putting her magazine down in front of her computer and leaning forward.

"I'm here to challenge that bastard boss of yours to a fight. A fight for Kurosaki!"


	36. A True Love

With his phone sitting on the coffee table in front of him, Ichigo waited patiently for Grimmjow to respond to his text message. He'd sent him one as soon as he left XCUTION, which was about an hour ago. It usually didn't take him this long to respond to his texts, so he had gotten worried.

As he stared down at his phone nervously, the television turned on suddenly.

Looking around, he wondered what had made it come on. Nobody usually set a time for it to automatically turn on, after all.

"You look worried, Ichigo." Ishiin said as he came over from the dining room with the remote in his hand. "Are you having trouble in the romance department?! Don't let it get you down! Your mother and I had problems when we first got together, too! But they were nothing we couldn't overcome! And whatever you're going through is nothing you cannot overcome!" he continued enthusiastically, taking a seat on the couch next to his son.

"Eh, I'm fine, dad." The boy responded.

"Good! Good!"

"What are you about to watch?" Ichigo asked.

"The weather! Things will be warming up soon, and there's going to be a fireworks display to celebrate the coming spring!"

"Really…?"

"Of course, Kurosaki."

Ichigo jumped when he heard Ishida's voice sound from the foyer. Leaning back on the couch, his eyes went wide when his friends all came in through the front door.

"Hi Kurosaki-kuuun! Hello Kurosaki-san and Yuzu-chan!" Inoue sang happily as she took her shoes off.

"Mm." Chad acknowledged.

Renji kicked off his shoes and hurried past everyone. "Ichigo, I hope you have some food!" he said, taking a seat on the couch beside the boy.

"Rude as always." Senna commented.

"Nobody asked you!" the redhead retorted.

Rukia came over to Ichigo with a smile. "You seem worried, Ichigo. Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm… wait! Nevermind me! What are you guys doing here? How'd you get in?"

"I let them in." Karin answered, peeking out from behind Chad in the doorway.

"Karin? What are you doing outside?" Ichigo asked.

"Brushing up on my kick." The girl responded, holding up a soccer ball. "I want to impress Toshiro and show him I'm better than he is at... well, everything soccer related."

"Karin-chan has a crush on Toshiro!" Yuzu called from the kitchen.

She was in the middle of cooking her famous curry and had a cake backing at the same time.

"I do not! He and that Hinamori girl are going out. I only want to prove I can beat him at this move he showed me. And since I think Grimmjow will be visiting again, I have to show him a thing or two as well."

"Everyone, what are you doing here?" Ichigo asked once more when Yuzu and Karin started a banter about Karin's love interests.

"We can't visit you anymore?" Ishida asked, walking into the kitchen and picking up a plate of minced veggies. "I'll help you." He told Yuzu.

"Me too!" Inoue smiled, shedding her leather coat and hurrying into the kitchen as well.

"Thank you!" Yuzu said eagerly, ignoring Karin who was still saying she didn't have a crush on Toshiro.

"No, I don't mind you guys coming… I just wasn't expecting to see any of you this evening." Ichigo answered, looking over to Ishida.

Senna and Chad took seats on the couch, followed by Rukia.

"Ichigo, where's Grimmjow?" the violet-eyed girl asked.

Looking back down to his cell phone, Ichigo shrugged. "I don't know. I texted him and told him to come over a little while ago. I also called twice when I was on my way home."

"I'm sure it's nothing!" Renji smiled, taking Ichigo under his arm affectionately.

"Where's Shuhei?" the orange-haired boy asked, not particularly enjoying being under Renji's arm.

"He's sleeping back at my place."

"Urahara's place." Senna corrected.

"Hey, back off!"

Pulling himself out of Renji's grasp, Ichigo glanced around the room as his friends and family started conversing with each other. It made him happy that they were here for him. And they always had been, even if he'd kept his struggle a secret from them for as long as he did.

Taking his phone from the coffee table, he stood up and excused himself from the living room.

"So many mouths to feed tonight." He heard Yuzu say as he exited the house.

After unlocking his phone and finding Grimmjow in his call log, he called him again, hoping for an answer this time.

"Grimmjow…" he muttered.

Looking up at the sky as the call dropped, he couldn't help but worry even more than he had been.

Had Ginjo really crossed the line? Did his recording of their conversation mean nothing to him?

Just as he was about to go inside to tell his father, he heard someone running down the sidewalk in front of his house.

When Riruka sped by, he was surprised, but called out to her regardless.

"Ichigo!" the girl shouted, coming to an abrupt stop and nearly falling over in the process.

"Riruka?! What are you doing running around here?"

Falling forward and bracing her hands on her knees to take a moment to catch her breath, Riruka shook her head. When she had managed to regulate her breathing to a calmer level, she spoke. "I've been looking for you!"

"What is it? Did you really come all the way across town to see me? I thought, from the way you turned down my offer at XCUTION-"

"That's not why I'm here! …But, I guess I am glad to know where this place is now."

"What's wrong?"

"There's some guy down at XCUTION who says he wants to fight Ginjo for you!"

* * *

Running as fast as his feet could carry him, Ichigo tore through Karakura Town trying to reach XCUTION.

" _Grimmjow you stubborn BAKA! I didn't want you to get involved with Ginjo any more than you already were!"_ he thought through gritted teeth as he ran.

"Hey, wait for me! Your legs are longer than mine!" Riruka shouted, quite a ways behind him.

Ichigo looked over his shoulder and grew angry, yet remorseful. Riruka was slow, but there was no way he would leave her behind. "Pick up the pace!" he said, slowing down his own in the process.

"What the hell is that guy thinking!? Who is he to you anyway?" the magenta-haired girl asked.

"He's… my ex-boyfriend." Ichigo responded.

With a blush running across her face, Riruka shook her head to focus on the situation at hand. "Why does he want to fight Ginjo if he's your ex?!" she asked.

"Because… I didn't want to break up with him, and I told him it was Ginjo who made me do it. That was so stupid of me! I should have handled this on my own and then told him when I had solved everything!"

"… No."

Ichigo's eyes went wide and he turned to the girl running beside him. "What?"

"I said no. That wouldn't have done any good. If you like him, you should be with him. Tell him what is hurting you because if he can help you, he will. Doing everything in his power to make sure you're happy and safe… that's a true love."

"Riruka…"

"Besides, you should never hide something from a lover. You'd only end up making a mess of your relationship. Considering he's still around after finding something like that out, you have a good guy… no matter how amazingly dimwitted he seems… And I'm sorry… that Ginjo made you break up with him, by the way. I didn't realize he'd go that far to get something he wanted. He's definitely an influential person."

Focusing on getting to XCUTION, Ichigo did not respond. After all, none of this was her fault. There was no need for her to apologize.

It was nice, though… hearing her support for him. He'd judged her correctly in assuming she was a good person under her standoffish exterior. And hopefully she would be a nice addition to his group of friends.

"What's that!?" Riruka shouted.

Ichigo's heart stopped when he saw ambulance lights flashing near his destination.

"Come on, Riruka!"

"Right!"

* * *

"Jackie!" Riruka exclaimed when she saw her colleague standing in the parking lot of XCUTION.

"Riruka? You… brought Ichigo?" said woman asked.

"Yea! What's going on here!? Why's there an ambulance in the parking lot!?" the girl replied.

Ichigo didn't even wait to hear the woman's response. He hurried on past the two to the stairs, and was about to enter the building when a hand quickly grabbed hold of his arm.

"Kurosaki!"

With wide eyes, Ichigo stared at Grimmjow, who was holding on to him firmly.

"Gri-Grimmjow!"

"Kurosaki, what are you-"

"Don't you dare ask me that! What are  _you_  doing here?!" Ichigo interrupted, ripping his arm free from the man's hold.

"I…"

"You were going to fight Ginjo, weren't you?!"

"Kurosaki-"

Grimmjow was cut short when the smaller boy grabbed him into a tight hug.

"I was so mad, but didn't know what to think when I saw that ambulance. If you got hurt again…"

Bringing his hands up to hold onto Ichigo, Grimmjow smiled. "I'm disappointed in you. You don't have faith in me after all this time?"

Ichigo moved back so he could look Grimmjow in the eyes. "That's not it… You never know what someone is capable of, and you would only make it worse by charging into their domain to fight them. Don't do something this stupid ever again!"

"I don't know exactly what happened…"

"What?" Ichigo asked with a confused expression, stepping back from Grimmjow completely.

"Well, I was at the front desk and I had the secretary call that bastard so I could go up and take him down, but we got no response. She kept calling and calling until finally she sent someone up. I was told to step outside when she got a call from back from the office. And then an ambulance came."

Ichigo stared into the building through the glass doors, wondering just what Ginjo had done. "I… I want to go and see for myself." He said quietly, so that only Grimmjow could hear him.

"Don't tell me you actually care about that guy."

"In a way, I do. He… he was only trying to repay my mom for the kindness she showed him by trying to make me happy. The keyword there being 'make'. I know he went about it the wrong way, but his intentions were good. So I… I want to help him."

"Open the doors and make way!" a paramedic called as he ran into the lobby inside the building.

Both Ichigo and Grimmjow watched in shock as Ginjo was pulled out of the building on a gurney.

As he passed, Ichigo couldn't help but see there was a pale tint to his skin.

"What the hell happened to him…?" he asked.

"He overdosed himself." Grimmjow answered.

Turning to the taller man beside him, Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

"I've seen my share of situations like this."

"He's correct, you know."

Ichigo's eyes went wide and he turned around at the sound of that voice.

"You!"

Grimmjow also turned around, and when he saw the man he met on his vacation approaching, he gulped. That guy was creepy back then, and he looked just as creepy now. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked.

Looking at Grimmjow, Ichigo's expression turned from a surprised one to confusion. "You know him?!"

"Not really." The bluenette began. "I met him while I was in Dubai and he told me he was happy to have talked to me or something like that. I think he was watching someone on the beach 'cuz that's what he said he was doing."

Ichigo paused and came to the immediate conclusion that this was the person Ginjo had hired to keep tabs on Grimmjow and Vivienne.

It also happened to be the strange man he'd come into contact with a long time ago who had told him he was Ginjo's light in this world.

"Tsukishima." The boy uttered.

"You remembered my name?" said man asked.

"Of course. I was going to find you once I took care of Ginjo… though… I don't want to harm him as much as I used to. Seeing him in the condition he was just in, I really only feel sorry for him."

"Yes. I'd hate to tell you this, but the paramedics said Ginjo overdosed a little over an hour ago. I can't help but recall you leaving the premises around that time. Just what exactly did you do to him?"

"I told him we were finished and that I was… going to be with Grimmjow again." Ichigo answered. "I wanted him to move on from me, but not by killing himself!"

"Kurosaki," Grimmjow called.

"Yeah?"

"He's not dead. If he were, he would have most likely have been in a body bag instead of on a gurney."

"Correct again." Tsukishima said. "They're taking him to the hospital, where he'll be treated by the best doctors money can buy."

Remembering how strange this guy was, and finding it even weirder that he knew Kurosaki, Grimmjow decided to voice his confusion. "What the hell is someone like you doing here? The last time I saw you was when I was on vacation."

"I live here in Karakura. I follow Ginjo and do what he asks of me because he saved me a very long time ago."

"Wait. Then… could it be… that Ginjo guy was the person you were telling me about? The one you… uh…"

"Love unconditionally? Yes. I am in love with Ginjo." Tsukishima said, finishing the other man's sentence.

Ichigo was shocked to hear that. He was about to interject, but it seemed like Tsukishima had more to say, so he remained quiet.

"Ginjo saved me from a life on the streets many, many moons ago. It would be no lie to say he is the man made me who I am today. My love for books is only one of the many things he's given me to enjoy. And I will do whatever it takes to make sure he is happy."

Putting two and two together, Grimmjow squinted. "You're not planning on taking Kurosaki from me for that bastard, are you? Cuz I ain't gonna just sit back and let it happen!"

"Actually, when I found out what he'd done to himself, I had intended to take Ginjo away from Karakura for a while, thus taking him away from Kurosaki Ichigo. It seems that he is not interested in what Ginjo has to offer, so it will do him no good to stay here. And while we're away, I will tell him how I feel about him, just like you said I should. You seem like a somewhat sharp-minded individual, so I will take a chance with your advice. Understand that I am not usually one to take such a risk, but… you helped me see that I can make Ginjo happy. Or do what I can to try, anway. I will do everything I can to satisfy him the way Kurosaki did not want to."

As Tsukishima continued to talk about his desire to ensure Ginjo's happiness, Ichigo couldn't help but relish a bit in this unexpected turn of events. This is what he started wanting for Ginjo after he realized the man's decent, if somewhat misguided, intentions towards him: someone who was willing to try making him happy.

Tsukishima stopped talking for a moment to stare at Jackie and Riruka, and then he watched the ambulance pull out of the parking lot. "I think I've spoken enough with you two. I must get to the hospital so I can be there for Ginjo. Once he is released, I'll have him come along with me out of the country. I'm sure he can manage XCUTION from his laptop, as I've seen him do so on many occasions, so there should be no objections on his part. After all, he must have realized you were outside of his reach, Kurosaki."

"Tsukishima." The orange-haired boy called.

"Hm?"

"Tell… tell Ginjo that I said thank you for what he meant to do for me... you know, his intentions. And tell him my mother would be glad that he has someone like you in his life."

"All right. Is there anything else you two want to say? I really should be going." The man said.

"No. Please, take care of yourself. And please take care of Ginjo." Ichigo responded.

"Right then. This is goodbye for now, at least. Perhaps someday our paths will all cross again, but hopefully on more peaceful terms." The raven-haired man said, before nodding in dismissal and leaving.

When Tsukishima was gone, Grimmjow slammed his fist into the palm of his hand. "That asshole chickened out at the thought of fighting me! He must've known I was coming to fight for you when you left this place!"

"'Cuz  _everyone's_  afraid of you, Grimmjow. Your reputation needs its own zip code." Ichigo commented, rolling his eyes.

"Are you… are you mocking me, Kurosaki?"

"No, but you should have let me handle this… Don't just try to do things on your own like this anymore."

Taking Ichigo by the back of the head, Grimmjow brought him closer and bumped their foreheads together. "Look who's talking."

Blushing deeply, Ichigo averted his eyes. "It-it was completely different with me, obviously!"

"Whatever you say."

"Don't you try to turn this on me!"

With a calmer expression on his face, Grimmjow grinned with his forehead still pressed against Ichigo's. "Kurosaki." He breathed out in a low voice.

"Yeah?"

"Let's uh… let's get out of here and go back to your place."

"…Right."


	37. Concordance

As he led Grimmjow down the streets of Karakura Town, Ichigo couldn't help but feel relieved.

He had been so sure Grimmjow had done something foolish when he saw that ambulance in the parking lot of XCUTION, so it was like a major weight off his shoulders when he had grabbed him by the arm and they embraced each other.

Of course, it was not exactly pleasant to find out that Ginjo had overdosed in an attempt to take his own life, but still, the fact that he  _hadn't_  been able to succeed was also part of the reason he was so relieved.

"Hey, Kurosaki." He heard when they were alone on the sidewalk.

Said boy turned and looked over his shoulder. "Hm?"

"Were you really… did you really think I'd screw up again after what you told me?"

Ichigo stopped walking and turned completely around to face the taller man. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Grimmjow stopped walking as well and put his hands in his pockets. "I'm not stupid… well, not as stupid as everyone thinks I am. You told me how that guy made you break up with me because he bribed you after I attacked him. Do you really think I'd just attack him like that again?"

"Well… let me start by saying that I don't think you're stupid, Grimmjow. You're a little rash, but not stupid. I mean, you do stupid  _things_ , but I can deal with that. That's never really been a problem. It's that temper of yours that has me worried. You lose it so easily when it comes to me." Ichigo said, looking the man in his bright blue eyes.

"Of course, that's because… well, you know…" Grimmjow blushed and looked away, "I care about you." He said somewhat nervously.

"Yeah, and that's why I'm torn."

"Torn?"

"Yeah, I know you'll always be thinking of my best interest, which is good. But then the things you do to see that I'm okay aren't always… well… Uhm… Take Ginjo for example. You came in that evening and saw him on me, so you attacked him. I really admire and appreciate your dedication, but I want you to find better ways to go about helping me. I don't want to see you in trouble again."

"Heh, you know I'd rule the jail house if I was locked up."

Ichigo shook his head, and then started walking again. "Your confidence worries me as well." He said with a smile.

"O-oi, Kurosaki!" Grimmjow called, before running to catch up to him.

* * *

Bombarded would be an appropriate word to use in describing how everyone reacted to Grimmjow coming in through the front door of the clinic. Well, most everyone who didn't have a lot of pride…

Inoue, Yuzu, Karin, Ishiin, Rukia, and even Senna hurried up to him when they saw him enter after Ichigo.

"How've you been, Grimmjow?!" Yuzu asked happily, holding onto a spatula because she had been in the middle of cooking.

"Have you been practicing your footwork?" Karin asked.

"Oh! You can make our Ichigo happy again! I'm so glad to see you here where you belong!" Ishiin shouted sincerely.

After taking off his shoes, Ichigo got up and ducked off from his overly excited family and friends.

From the couch, Renji saw him heading over to the stairs. Before he said anything, he realized once Grimmjow got away from everyone who was hounding him with their eagerness to see him, the two of them would probably spend some time alone together upstairs.

"What are you grinning about, Abarai?" Ishida asked, and then adjusted his glasses as if he already knew.

"Oh… nothing." The redhead replied.

"Really?"

Renji blushed. "Yes really, Ishida!"

Chad smiled when the two of them started arguing like the usually did. Senna came over from the foyer and joined in, causing him to shake his head at them.

Things really were going back to normal. Even Ichigo had a smile, though barely noticeable, on his face when he had entered the clinic. And it was because of Grimmjow.

Speaking of Grimmjow, he somehow managed to squeeze through the girls and Ishiin and was now heading over to the stairs.

Karin convinced her father and Yuzu to go back into the kitchen, saying how Ichigo and Grimmjow probably needed to talk.

"Okay…" Yuzu said, even though she didn't really want to ignore the fact that Grimmjow was suddenly back in the picture.

"Any talking they need to do can be done down here!" Ishiin pouted while sitting at the table with his arms folded, his back straight, and his eyes closed.

Karin sweat dropped when her sister and father got side by side and then seemed to fall into a pit of glumness. "I'm sure we'll have lots more time to talk to Grimmjow in the coming days." She said, trying to cheer them up. "I get the feeling he'll be around much more often. So don't be so upset."

"I'm all for Ichigo talking things out, but he'd better not be doing anything  _else_  up there." Senna said as she took a seat on the couch.

"Oh! Senna-chan!" Inoue blushed deeply.

"We're all thinking it!"

"Actually, that kind of activity relieves a lot of stress and puts the… participants… in a more pleasant mood. It would probably be best for them to get it out of the way first." Ishida commented. His glasses were shining the whole time, preventing anyone from seeing his eyes.

"Can we not talk about that kind of thing with Ichigo's sisters and father around…?" Rukia asked, blushing a bit by everyone's openness about the matter.

"Right." Inoue agreed.

After the others had dismissed the topic, Renji folded his arms and grinned again. "Well, guess we'll just have to come back tomorrow if they don't come down after more than an hour… Or even thirty minutes."

"We said drop it already!" the others all shouted in unison.

* * *

Grimmjow pulled his jacket off after closing Ichigo's bedroom door and draped it over the boy's desk chair when he reached it.

Ichigo sat on his bed quietly, looking out his window at the darkening sky that was starting to fill with stars.

"Kurosaki."

Brown eyes moved to the man standing in front of the bed. "What?"

"We need to talk, right?"

"Yeah… I'm just trying to figure out what to say is all." The orange-haired boy responded, then crossed his legs.

Grimmjow took a seat on the bed and smirked. "Well, maybe we could talk after we-"

"No, we should talk now." Thankfully the room was brightly lit from the main light, which Ichigo was somewhat glad for. Had it been dark, he probably would have given in to Grimmjow's proposal very easily.

"Buzz kill…" the other said with a frown.

"Grimmjow…"

"Yeah?"

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo closed his eyes and reflected on everything that happened for just a second before he spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. You've been through so much because of me. I never meant to hurt you in any way, and I also never meant to break any of my promises to you. I don't know if I'll ever be able to make it up to you, but-"

"Oi, enough with that kind of talk. I'm not mad at you, and I never was mad at you. Because even after we broke up… I managed to get close to you again. You couldn't resist my charms, after all."

At first, Ichigo was going to comment on Grimmjow's disturbingly large ego, but he decided against it.

He was happy. Happy that Grimmjow hadn't been mad at him. He could tell his words were sincere because the look on his face was sincere as well. "But… still, I broke my promises-"

"It doesn't matter. That doesn't mean we can't be happy now. Sure, it was a bit different without you around as much, but you know what?"

"What?"

"I realized while we were apart that my life isn't anywhere near as interesting, as fun, or as satisfying without you in it."

A soft and surprised look found its way to Ichigo's face. He almost wanted to cry, but kept himself composed. "I… I feel that way, too. It was hard keeping you in the dark for so long. And it was even harder trying to avoid you. No matter what I did, I was always reminded of you. We eventually found our way back to each other, though. And I'm really glad for that."

Grimmjow threw his hands behind his head and fell back onto Ichigo's pillows. "So… do you want to get back together?" he asked, trying to look cool as he did. "Even though we practically never broke up in the first place…"

"No." Ichigo said seriously.

Grimmjow was surprised at that response, and he opened an eye. "What, why not?" he asked.

"Because… just like you said, we never really broke up. It was just a breather. A break. One where we were both forced to see that we need each other." The boy smiled.

The bluenette smirked. "You had me worried there for a second."

When Grimmjow sat up and got close to him, Ichigo put his hand on the larger man's face and pushed him back down. "Yeah. That was for trying to act cool, baka."

"You're the baka! Baka!"

"…Whatever."

"Come here." The larger man said, using his index finger to give the order.

"Make me."

Smelling a challenge, Grimmjow raised an eyebrow and sat up again. "Are you really doing this, Kurosaki? Are you really challenging me?"

"Yup." Said boy replied, grinning with heavy-lidded, desire-filled eyes.

Taking Ichigo by the chin with his large hand, Grimmjow pulled him close, then blew his breath in his face. "Not bad this time, right?"

"Surprisingly, no it isn't. What, did you chew gum or something?"

"Breath mints."

"You should eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner." Ichigo said with a chuckle. Of course he didn't mean that. He just really liked to tease Grimmjow. His breath was usually pretty nice.

"Fuck you."

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo closed the space between himself and Grimmjow, pressing his lips against the other's slightly dry ones. He felt that familiar, warm feeling in his lower gut and smiled. It was the first time he felt  _free_  to kiss Grimmjow in a long, long time.

His eyebrows went up a bit when he felt Grimmjow stick his tongue into his mouth. When it nearly shot down his throat, he brought his hands up and tangled the other's soft blue locks of hair between his fingers.

It was then that he felt a pair of large hands rest on his hips. Effortlessly, he was pulled down on top of his lover.

"Hmm…" Pulling his lips away, he buried his nose in the hair behind Grimmjow's ear and inhaled deeply. The scent of his hair was just as heavy as he remembered, and he found himself glad about it, even though it seemed like such a small thing. To him, everything about Grimmjow was larger than life right now. The two of them hadn't been able to be this close without regret for a very long time.

"Mmmh…!" He moaned when he felt Grimmjow's tongue run along the side of his neck and his warm hands run up and down his backside. They quickly found their way down to the elastic on his underwear, and he breathed out heavily when they were pulled down. The feeling of the air on his nether regions made him blush.

Expectedly, Grimmjow's finger found its way to his hole, then started rubbing against it gently.

"Kurosaki,"

"Yeah?"

"I don't have any lube on me. You have some here?" the larger man whispered.

"You must be joking to think I wouldn't. We dated, after all." Ichigo replied, and then sat up to lean over to his night stand.

"What does that mean?" Grimmjow asked, already knowing the answer to his question.

"It means you're a sex addict… or something like that. I don't know… You like to get busy a lot, so me  _not_  having any would have made for some uncomfortable past experiences."

With a smile on his face, Grimmjow took the bottle of lube that was handed to him. He was glad to see that it was still pretty much as full as he'd last seen it. Kurosaki probably got horny some nights and took it out when they were apart. The thought caused him to start chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Ichigo asked.

"Nothing."

"Really?"

"Well, it's something. But what's most important is that I'm happy."

"You're happy?"

Lifting the cap off the bottle in his hand, the bluenette squeezed it and covered his fingers in the water-like fluid. "Yeah. I'm happy we're… you know…" he commented, before he put the bottle down beside him.

Ichigo leaned forward and got in the other man's face. "Yeah, I do." He said softly. He closed his eyes and buried his face in the scarred chest beneath him when he felt a pair of fingers push inside his hole.

"Hey…".

"What is it?"

As he inserted a third finger, Grimmjow looked down at the orange mess of spiky hair in front of him. "You didn't enjoy being fucked by someone else, did you?"

"Of course not." Ichigo said, and then bit his bottom lip.

"Good, good." After deciding he'd loosened Ichigo up enough and removing his fingers, Grimmjow picked up the bottle again to fill his palm with lubrication. He closed his eyes for the entirety of the moment that he stroked his erect member with it. "You ready for this, Kurosaki?" he asked.

"Yeah." The boy replied with his face still pressed to Grimmjow's chest.

He inhaled deeply from the pain he felt as he was entered. It hurt, but it was also very pleasurable at the same time, so he endured it, as he always had.

When Grimmjow's penis pushed inside him all the way, he exhaled his breath and relaxed.

Grimmjow reached down and lifted Ichigo's head up by his chin after he started moving. "He doesn't compare to me, does he?"

Ichigo found it somewhere in the pain he was feeling from having Grimmjow inside him to roll his eyes. "You're… so insecure…" he moaned.

"I'm not. I just want to be the best you'll ever have. And…"

The boy raised an eyebrow when his lover stopped moving. "Grimmjow?"

"Kurosaki, I want to be your only. From this day on, you're mine and mine alone."

"Heh, then I'll say the same to you. From today on, you're always going to be mine."

"I promise."

Ichigo closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, there's no need for promises. I don't want to make this about that again. We'll just know… we'll always know that we're going to be together, okay?"

"Sure, that's fine with me." The bluenette replied, and then started moving again.

"Ah!" the smaller boy moaned, and then buried his face in Grimmjow's chest again.

"I'm the best, right?" Grimmjow whispered as he sped up his pace.

Ichigo smiled. "Of course. No one compares to you, Grimmjow." He answered sincerely.

Picking his head up, he looked Grimmjow in the eyes and found himself caught in them for a moment. Without looking away, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against the larger man's gently. He also brought his hand down and took Grimmjow's into his. After intertwining their fingers, he squeezed tightly as he felt the waves of pain and pleasure overtake him.

It wasn't long before he felt himself getting closer and closer to his climax.

The second he pulled away, Grimmjow quickly pulled out of him and flipped him onto his back, before he crawled over him. He could already tell Ichigo was close, so he wanted to be the one to make the boy feel those waves of pleasure.

After pushing into his tight hole again, the bluenette reached down and started stroking his lover's erect member, breathing heavily as he did.

"Aaah… Grimm… I… I'm about to…"

"Hold it for just a few more seconds…"

"Stop stroking me then…!"

Pulling his hand away, Grimmjow leaned forward and made sure to kiss Ichigo. "We'll do it together." He said, after their lips parted.

"But I can't… I'm really gonna-"

"I stopped jacking you off. Why can't you hold it?" the larger man asked while he continued to fuck the boy beneath him.

Ichigo closed his eyes. "Because this feels so good!" he breathed out.

The look on his face as he'd said that made Grimmjow grin. He was excited to be giving Ichigo so much pleasure. So excited that he couldn't keep himself from climaxing.

When he felt Ichigo tightening around him, he looked down and saw the sperm on his stomach, letting him know that he too had climaxed.

"Fuck…" he said while breathing heavily.

Ichigo closed his eyes and smiled. "Haha, it's… it's nice to be together like this again. I really did miss this."

"Heh, if that's the way you feel, then let's go another round." Grimmjow suggested, and then leaned forward to bite the boy's ear lobe.

"Normally I wouldn't be up for that, but tonight is different." The orange-haired boy said, feeling his heart still beating at a faster pace than normal. While he was definitely glad to be back in Grimmjow's company, somewhere deep inside, the urge to beat Renji arose. After Shuhei had told him they had sex at least four times in a row all that time ago, which didn't even seem possible but he believed it because it was Renji they were discussing, Ichigo inwardly decided he wanted to do that with Grimmjow one day. Tonight was the perfect opportunity to.

"Gimme a sec…" Grimmjow whispered in his ear.

"Why?"

"'Cuz I gotta get hard again."

"Don't keep me waiting too long... Actually, take your time. I want to stay up all night with you."

Grimmjow's blue eyes flashed with a hint of happiness and he smiled. "Then that's exactly what we'll do." He said in a low, seductive voice.

And that's exactly what they did.

Until the sun peeked out on the horizon, they were on and off making love together, chasing away the pain of their previous separation and welcoming the pleasure of their re-established relationship. Not to mention making a mess on Ichigo's blankets.


	38. A Weight Lifted

Three weeks after Ginjo's overdose.

With his gaze momentarily turning from his book to the beach of the resort in Dubai, Tsukishima smiled at another day in calming paradise. He was currently up in the suite he'd rented, sitting out on the balcony and reading the second book in a trilogy that he was currently enamored with.

Dubai was the place he'd chosen to bring Ginjo, since the last time he had visited it had been on…  _less relaxed terms_. Observing the Jaegerjaques fellow and his mother wasn't exactly his idea of enjoying the scenery.

The beach was decorated in the bright colors of the many umbrellas and bathing suits of the visitors at this resort. Everyone was relaxing in the company of their family or friends, some with lovers. It was nice. Refreshing, actually, to not be here on business.

He'd worked for Ginjo for a very long time, and this was the first time he'd ever been able to relax like this.

"What are you doing lounging around out there for?" Ginjo's voice came from inside the suite.

Tsukishima turned and looked inside to the man lying on the bed. "You're awake?"

"Yeah. I don't feel so good, though. That damned medicine always makes me feel sick."

"Take it easy. Just rest for a while. Oh, and in response to your question, I'm reading while sun bathing."

Some teenage girl down on the first floor had seen Tsukishima and told him he needed a tan, and badly. He decided to give sitting out in the sun for a while a chance. Though, he didn't want to end up looking like he was an Oompa Loompa or anything…

"I've known you for over twenty years, and never have I once seen you lying outside to catch a tan. Why the sudden change?"

"I'm not actually trying to tan my skin, I just want to give it some exposure to the sunlight. Consider it a sign of my new resolve."

Ginjo raised an eyebrow. "New resolve? What new-"

"I meant to say my new start! This is the start of something good, and I feel like seeing the sun a little more than I have is symbolic of it. I can't spend my life hiding away in a library when the world is right here in front of me."

"What's gotten into you these past few days?" the brawny man asked suspiciously.

Tsukishima looked down to the pages in his book. It had been more than a few days since he'd decided to make a fresh start. Ever since his last time coming here to Dubai, he'd made a choice to change. And it was all because of that blue-haired guy named Grimmjow Jaegerjaques he was originally meant to keep tabs on.

The only part of his fresh beginning that he had yet to act on was his confession to Ginjo.

It hadn't really been a proper time to say anything to him right after his overdose, so he decided he'd wait for a while. Give Ginjo time to recuperate before he introduced this new chapter in their lives. Waiting here with him also let him watch as Ginjo got over the Kurosaki boy. It was a slow process, but a process nonetheless.

After all this time of not being in Karakura to smother the poor child, he could see that Ginjo was finally moving on. Or, he was putting it behind him, at least.

As per Kurosaki's wish, Tsukishima had passed along his message of thanks. And he'd also passed on the hope for happiness the boy mentioned. He did all of that when they first arrived to let it sink in. Plus, he didn't want to jeopardize any recovery Ginjo could have by saving it for a later time, like now. Now was  _his_  time. Now was his moment to be with Ginjo, even if it was only for support.

Tsukishima closed his book and got up. After one last glance out to the beach and the many people enjoying their day on it, he walked inside and then stopped in front of Ginjo's bed.

"Ginjo, I need to tell you something. Something I've been hiding from you for quite a long time and… until recently never would have admitted to you."

Ginjo raised an eyebrow, but got out from under his sheets. He felt weird listening to something that was apparently important while sitting in such a relaxed manner.

"You didn't need to change position…"

"I know, but I wanted to."

Tsukishima averted his eyes and tried to hide his face because he knew his cheeks were reddening. "Well…"

"Take a seat somewhere. You really want to tell me something while standing up? It must not be something you consider important."

"Oh!" Quickly, Tsukishima walked over to the table in the room and pulled the chair out. He then pushed it over to Ginjo's bedside and sat down in it.

"What is it that you want to tell me?" the larger man asked.

"Ginjo… for a long time when I was young, I'd never known what it meant to be happy. Since my parents were taken from me when I was only four, it was near impossible to see any light in this world, or anyone who could care for someone like me. But you… You helped me when I was at my lowest. You picked me up and brought a smile to my face. Let me read from fantastic authors I never would have been exposed to on my own. I'll never be able to thank you enough for that…"

Ginjo shook his head. "It was nothing. I was merely doing a good deed; passing on the light that someone once showed me when I was in a similar situation to yours."

"I still remember the day we met… clear as crystal."

Flashback

With tears running down his face, Tsukishima, age 12, walked out of the library and stared back inside for a moment. The librarian told him that he couldn't check out any books when he gave her his library card. Then she said his foster mother was looking for him, and told her to call the house if he came to the library.

So he was out of a home, since he had run away a few days ago, and he couldn't have his books  _either_?

Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, he made his way down the sidewalk that would lead him to the shopping centers that were further down the road. It was time for him to find something to eat.

"Excuse me, ma'am." He said to a woman who was coming out of the coffee house with a large cup of coffee in her hand. It was a somewhat cold day.

"Me?" the woman asked.

"Mhmm."

"What's a little guy like you doing outside a coffee shop?"

"How did you know I wasn't just passing by?"

"I've seen you standing out here and begging for food since I got here twenty minutes ago… Where's your family?"

"Never mind that. If you saw me out here for so long, then why did you sit idly by and not do anything? Surely someone like you, who seems like a middle-class citizen, would have had the decency to come outside and share a pastry with me?"

The woman had a shocked expression on her face. "How-how old are you?"

"Twelve."

"How come you're out here instead of at home with your parents?"

"My parents are dead. And I'll wind up the same way, eventually."

Tsukishima's eyes widened when the woman pulled out her cell phone and he saw her press three buttons on the screen. "Don't worry, honey. I'm going to get you some-"

"No, I don't want any help from the police!"

And with that, Tsukishima hurried away from the woman with tears running down his cheeks again.

Did no one understand that he couldn't go back to that foster home? That's the first place the police would take him, and it wouldn't be nice when he returned. He contemplated the terrible things his foster mother would do to him when she saw him again. Surely she was dissatisfied with the fact that he'd run away in the first place.

Quelling his sobs as he sat under a tree outside Barnes & Noble seemed impossible, and it earned him the attention of a few people who passed by.

"What are you doing sitting out here crying for?"

Tsukishima looked up through his long bangs and stared up at the man who was standing over him, dressed in a leather jacket and somewhat tight-fitting black pants.

"I'm *sob* I'm hungry… and *sob* and I can't buy any books to read either."

"That's no good." The man replied, and then knelt in front of Tsukishima. "Why don't you come with me? I've got a lot of novels in my library, and I've got lots of food, too."

"No offense…" the boy began as he wiped his eyes, "But I learned I should never go along with strangers… You're creepy."

"Wow, you sure are… well spoken for for a kid."

"I'm *sob* I'm very intelligent."

"Listen, you don't have to come with me now. But, if the day ever comes that you feel lonely, extremely hungry, in need of some literature, or in want of some entertainment, here's the place I go to everyday that provides all that and more."

Tsukishima watched as the man took out a business card from his jacket and handed it to him. After taking it, he sniffed and wiped his eyes.

"My name's Ginjo. Ask for me if you do come, and the nice lady at the front desk will let you come to see all the work I do." Ginjo said with a smile.

He then patted him on the head, stood up, and then waved, before heading off on his way down the sidewalk.

* * *

After a few days of barely surviving on rations he managed to get from strangers, Tsukishima could take no more of this life as a kid on the streets. Swallowing his pride, and promising himself that he'd be more polite this time, he pulled out the card Ginjo had given him and then got an adult to tell him where to find the address on it.

"Have fun, little guy." The lady said as he hurried off in the direction she'd pointed him in.

"Thank you!" he called over his shoulder.

* * *

The address on the building in front of Tsukishima matched the one on the card Ginjo had given him.

"What's XCUTION Industries?" he thought as he put the card back into his pocket and walked up to the front doors.

A woman sitting at the front desk saw him coming, and he could see a smile form on her lips. When he reached the desk, he nervously looked around the lobby of the building. It was somewhat homey, even though it was also professional and formal at the same time.

"Can I help you, little guy?"

Tsukishima looked the woman in the face. "Um… I'm… I'm looking for a Ginjo… he said you'd let me see him."

"Oh, well alright. I'm Jackie. What's your name?" Jackie asked and got out of her seat.

"Tsukishima."

"Nice to meet you, Tsukishima. Come with me and I'll bring you to Ginjo."

Without a word, Tsukishima followed Jackie down the hallway and to the elevator.

"Do you know what Ginjo does?" she asked him after they entered it.

"No…"

The elevator stopped and dinged, and the doors opened. Standing at the end of the hallway that was lit in light blue lights all the way down, was Ginjo. He was standing with his arms folded and talking to someone.

"Ginjo, there's a kid named Tsukishima here looking for you."

Said man turned and smiled in Jackie and Tsukishima's direction.

Jackie led Tsukishima over to Ginjo and looked into one of the rooms. "How's the development going?" she asked.

"Not so good, but I'll be stepping in and doing some work myself to increase efficiency. The testers are finding a lot of glitches in the latest BETA. And they're all from World B. The developers had the hardest time constructing that world, so I can't imagine what they'll say when they have to revisit it to fix the errors. I'll do 'em a favor and render it myself.'" The raven-haired man replied.

" _You're_  stepping in? That's a surprise. You usually just do 'administrative' work."

"…Jackie, don't you have some work to do?"

"Hey, I was just complying with one of your little charitable- I mean, yeah, I'll leave this kid with you. He doesn't seem like the gaming type, though." Jackie said. Without a wave at Tsukishima, she left him in Ginjo's company.

Turning to the man he'd previously been talking to, Ginjo sighed. "Let the others know I'll be coming in a little later to work out some of the Level 9 bugs."

"Right."

"Ginjo… I'm not interested in video games." Tsukishima commented right after the other man had left to deliver Ginjo's message.

"That's fine. Come with me. I think I have something you'll like."

With a sigh and a definite feeling that Ginjo had nothing in this place that would interest him, Tsukishima followed after the man anyway.

…

"You like books, right?" Ginjo asked as he stopped in front of a door on the fourth floor.

"Yes, that's right." Tsukishima answered.

"Well, then you'll probably get the most use out of this room." When Ginjo slid his card in the reader beside the door, it unlocked and then opened. "This is a reference room. We have many books about many different subjects here so we can be as accurate as possible in our development. There are also a lot of regular novels here some of my employees have brought."

Tsukishima's eyes were starry and wide as the lights came on and a massive collection of books came into view. The room was literally overflowing with knowledge, and it was right before him.

Turning to Ginjo, he was handed a card. "What's this?" he asked.

"My access card. It will grant you clearance into any room in this building." The man answered with a grin. "Be sure to drop by my bar and chat with my bartender. He'll love the company… plus… he babbles on all day. I feel like you'd benefit from some social interaction. And if he ever gets boring, this place is full of interesting people you can talk to. So don't be shy!"

"…Thank you… but…"

"But what?"

"How will you get around without your card?"

Ginjo started laughing. "I go through ten of those a month. Don't sweat it! Jackie will have another one ready for me by tomorrow. So take that and feel free to come and go as you please. I won't force you to stay, but at least you know there's always a warm place for you here. By the way, there's a secret room in my office on the wall to the left when you walk in that has a bed in it. No one knows about it but me… and you now. If the nights ever get too cold and you can't find anywhere to go, this place is always available to you. And since we have day and night time employees, the building is open so long as you keep that card and use it to get in." When Ginjo noticed the boy's eyes start watering, he was quick to try consoling him. "Wh-what is it?!" he asked, kneeling down to the child's height. "Shit… I can't even be nice without things going wrong… Look, it's okay. You being here is no issue-"

His words were cut short as he was pounced on and held tightly in a hug.

Tsukishima was never one to initiate physical contact with anyone, so this action surprised even him. But he was just so happy. After a life on the streets, he finally, finally had somewhere to call home. There was a place for him to be safe and sheltered from the rain or the people who only wished to cause him harm. And it was all because of this ape of a man in his grasp.

That was the beginning of his blossoming emotions for the executive of XCUTION.

End Flashback

"I still have that card." Tsukishima said with a warm expression on his face.

"I can't imagine why you wouldn't. You don't like getting yelled at by Jackie." Ginjo replied with a grin.

"That is true…"

"So what is it you want to tell me?"

"Ginjo… what I want to tell you… what I've been wanting to tell you for so many years now… Is that… I'm in love with you."

It was now out in the open. There for the world to know.

A weight was now lifted. A heart now exposed.

Tsukishima looked down to the floor. "It is not as if I'm trying to make you love me back… I just don't want to live wondering what if. I'm not so good with people, but you helped me open up. You showed me kindness. You taught me that second chances and miracles do exist. And I can only love you for it, Ginjo. All I ask is that you live. Live and trust that someday someone will return your feelings, the ones you direct at the Kurosaki boy. Because you deserve happiness. You go so far simply because someone taught you what compassion and goodwill was, and although you may go too far, your heart is in the right place. Even Kurosaki believes that. So please, for me, and for our family back at XCUTION, please carry on. Never attempt to take your life again."

There was a brief moment of silence in the room. Tsukishima got up from his seat and then took his book back outside so he could continue reading. Ginjo had some thinking to do. Now that he heard all of that, the only thing to do now was to let him process it.

Before he began reading, the slender man took a gaze out at the horizon and smiled. Yes, the world seemed a little brighter now that he admitted his feelings. And Ginjo, although surprised, didn't seem upset or disturbed by his confession.

"Thank you, Jaegerjaques-san. You've taught me a valuable lesson in what it means to be brave and take chances." He whispered.


	39. Sunlight Shimmering Love

* * *

Time passes and feelings change. However, some feelings can transcend even time. What was once a strained and contained love for such a long and strenuous period is now flourishing and free.

* * *

Late summer.

"Hey Yuzu, where are my swimming trunks?" Ichigo called from his room. He was looking through his closet like a madman trying to find them.

"I washed it last night with the dark clothes! It should be in the dryer!" Yuzu replied from the kitchen.

Ichigo got up quickly from his knees, managing to hit his head on one of his shelves, but hurried out of his room. "Thanks!" he said. After finding them in the dryer, he grabbed them and went into the bathroom then put them on, switching them out with his pants and underwear.

"You'd better hurry or you'll be late." Karin said as she saw her brother rushing back to his room.

"I know." The orange-head said.

Grabbing up his booksack full of beach supplies, he quickly left the house, making sure to tell his sisters and father that he would see them later.

"Have fun, Ichigo!" Ishiin said from his seat in the kitchen just before the door closed.

"I will!"

And with that, he was on his way to the beach to meet up with his friends.

* * *

Sitting at one of the beach tables, Ishida read his book while the rest of the group played a round of beach volleyball.

"Oi, Ishida! Come play!" Renji shouted.

"No thank you, Abarai. I've got to get through this book before the next issue comes out-which is in a few days."

"Bookworm!"

"Beach bum."

While Renji was distracted, Senna took her chance to send the volleyball at him. Shuhei saw it and tried to stop it from hitting the distracted redhead, but he wasn't fast enough, and the ball hit Renji with an echoing smack. Rukia cringed and Inoue gasped. Chad stood quiet, trying not to be involved in the argument that was sure to follow.

Renji rubbed the side of his face where the ball had hit him and squinted at Senna. "You are going down!" he exclaimed, then picked the ball up off the ground.

Ishida shook his head, then turned his attention back to his book.

Ichigo headed down the hill that led him to the beach, but stopped when he heard his name called.

"Grimmjow!" he smiled.

Said man came up the dock from one of the shops with ice cream in one hand and a hot dog in the other. "Which one do you want?" he asked when he came up in front of his boyfriend.

"I'll take the ice cream." Ichigo said, taking the cone from the taller man's hand. "Thanks."

"Where're you headed?"

"I was going to meet the guys on the beach."

"Let's skip that for now."

"Why?"

"Heh, I know of this cave not far from here that we could use."

"One-track mind…" Ichigo said. He licked the ice cream and quietly let Grimmjow lead him away from where he saw his friends playing on the beach.

* * *

"Hey, where's Ichigo? He should've been here by now…" Shuhei commented after everyone decided to stop playing volleyball. The girls were off playing in the water, Chad was relaxing on his stomach on a towel, and Ishida was still reading his book. He and Renji had started building a sand castle, which neither of them could completely agree about.

"Beats me. Text him." Renji replied, then started digging a moat.

"Hey, I said no moats!"

"Stop me then." The tan man said provokingly.

Shuhei closed his eyes and one of the veins on his forehead appeared. "Oh I'll stop you!" he declared, then jumped on top of Renji. The two of them tussled about, destroying what they'd already built on the sand castle in the process.

"What are you two doing?"

Both Renji and Shuhei looked up and saw Ichigo approaching with Grimmjow not far behind him. He looked a bit flustered, and his lips were a little swollen.

"You're looking like a star right now from how bright you're glowing." Shuhei teased, then pinned Renji on the ground for a second. Satisfied with having been the victor of their little go-round, he released the larger man and got up.

"I let you win!" Renji said.

When Ichigo reached the two, he smiled. This summer had been a very nice one, and when everyone could get together like this, it was nice.

Of course, they'd all still be together next year, but split up at the same time.

All of them were going to university in Tokyo, just different ones. Inoue, Rukia, and Senna were all planning to stay together in a spacious loft. Inoue would be going to culinary school. Rukia decided to give fashion a chance, but she also wanted to work with biology as well, so she was double-majoring in both. Senna was going to school for art and design, and would be minoring in film. Something about film just interested her so much, so she was excited about the chance to study it.

Chad would be going to school for architecture, and he and Renji were sharing an apartment. Through his decent entrance exam scores, Renji, to everyone's surprise, got into the same university that Rukia did, and decided he wanted to study Astronomy. Shuhei would be staying with him and splitting rent with them. He'd decided to take up a job offer from a popular bookstore as an assistant manager, plus he would be going to school for design.

Ishida got his own apartment and was going to medical school. No one was surprised, considering that was what he spent most of his time doing during high school. He was giving up his job at the game store in a few days, meaning he would have a little free time before going to Tokyo. What would he do with himself… was the general question. Ishida was not one to be crazy about having nothing to do. He would surely find something to preoccupy his time with.

Grimmjow told Ichigo they were staying together in an apartment where cherry blossoms bloomed in spring. He chose the complex he did because he knew how much Kurosaki liked cherry blossoms. That night they'd spent together under them last summer was where he found that out. He was going to school for engineering, and his executive position at his current job was secured for him until he graduated. Nelliel surprised him when she said she would be visiting on the weekends, but he had every intention of pawning her off on the girls, who would be staying about twenty minutes from where he and Ichigo would be.

Ichigo got into the same medical school that Ishida did, and he managed to get a few scholarships. He didn't get a full ride like Ishida did, but what he got was enough to cover his tuition and other expenses. Not to mention he would be working as well at a manga shop. Inoue said she would visit him every day because she got a job at a pastry shop that she'd be starting that was only a block away.

Everyone had their own plans, but thankfully none of them would be out of reach. Tokyo was seeming like another chapter in their lives, and Ichigo welcomed it more than any of them because he wouldn't be apart from Grimmjow like they'd been for most of this year.

A bit of unexpected news came about a week ago. Tsukishima visited the clinic and sat Ichigo down to tell him that Ginjo was doing a lot better, and also to tell him that they were together now. It was such a relief. And when he felt ready, he figured maybe he and Grimmjow could maybe have dinner with them sometime.

Ichigo was thankful for how everyone had stood by his side through this, especially Grimmjow. Even while they were broken up, they'd been close to each other as if nothing had happened. And from that, Ichigo knew they could make it through any more challenges that came their way.

Looking up to the blue sky overhead, he smiled. "Mom, I managed to keep my promise to you so far. Help me be able to continue keeping it. And watch over dad and the girls while I'm not here to do it." He said.

"Oi, Kurosaki, stop spacing out and come help me choose a board to surf with!" Grimmjow called.

Ichigo shook his head, "And help me keep my promises to him as well." He spoke under his breath, then headed over to where Grimmjow was. "You don't even know how to surf." He commented as the two of them made their way over to the surf shop and temporarily left the others to their beach activities.

"It's never too late to learn. Besides, you're surfing with me."

"Wha-"

"Don't be a pansy, Kurosaki."

"Don't be a dick, Grimmjow."

"… You want it again?"

"What? No, that's not even what I-"

"Haha, your buttons are so easy to push!"

Ichigo shook his head. He couldn't deny that, not even a little. Grimmjow got to him like no one else could, and he now started to believe it was because he let him.

Pulling Grimmjow off to the side, he smiled, "Grimmjow, I- I really do love you. I can't wait to go out to Tokyo together. You'll have to show me around."

"I'll show you everything you want to see, Kurosaki. Everything and more." Grimmjow said with a toothy grin, and then kissed the shorter man on his forehead. "I love you, too, sexy strawberry."

END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your reviews and support of this story. I'm really glad I was able to finish it, though it took a while, and I hope you all enjoyed it.


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